Focus

[Kristen Westlake]

Nikon D2x, Nikkor 600 mm AFS lens
ISO 200
f/7.1, 1/2000s.
Aperture Priority, Exp. Comp -0.7.
This image is cropped from this one:http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/galle..._Owl_2442.html - thus the -.7 compensation. That would have been different had the picture been made at the crop (being almost all white filling the frame).
I did a quick mask on the owl's eyes to darken the pupils (just a tad) and to increase the yellow saturation.
Quickmask and linear burn of some of the white areas around the face to bring out a little more detail.

[Ramon M. Casares]

IMHO, I like the original better :) This crop is nice but the loss of detail too notorious to me and the original image I think is STUNNNIG! Congratualitons!

[Kristen Westlake]

Thanks Ramon, I was contemplating the original versus this one as well. Thank you for your input! :)

[Kristen Westlake]

Here is the original :

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I agree with Ramon, the original is stronger and sharper. Did you bait the owl or did you just get lucky?

[Bob Malbon]

Kristen, I will go with the original! Great image! Bob

[Doug Brown]

Another vote for the original Kristen.

[Dan Walker]

One more vote for the original, love the intense stare. Would like to see it with both eyes in the light.

[Doug Hitchcox]

I also vote for the original, one thing you may want to do is brighten the shadows in the eyes. Using the magic wand works great for selecting these areas and then in Hue/Saturation bump up the lightness to match the lit part of the eye and then add saturation to match the color correctly.
Here is a quick attempt I made at it to show you what I mean. I hope you don't mind.

[Jasper Doest]

Another vote for the original here...I don't really see why you would crop this even further.

[Mike Lentz]

Hi Kristen, a vote for the original as well.
I will be in Wisconsin on the weekend of the 21st hopefully photographing Snowies. :)

[Steve Maxson]

Lots of votes for the original - you can add mine. I think this would look great as a pano crop - by taking a little off the top, but more from the bottom.

[Kristen Westlake]

I love that Doug! Thanks! I worked with the eyes but didn't think to do what you did.. :) Much appreciation !! And Steve, I think a pano crop would be very cool :) Thank you everyone for the great feedback and helpful thoughts!

[Kristen Westlake]

Axel, hate to say it but the bird was baited. There was a guy out there who released a total of 3 or 4 mice when I was there. I am not much into the baiting thing - but I wasn't going to stand there and not make images either! :)

[Kristen Westlake]

Mike, thats great! I will be on the other end of the camera that weekend so I won't be around to make images. I wish you all the best though! Where are you going to head for snowies? The wisbird network is a really good source if you want to access it let me know !

[Kristen Westlake]

Ok... I brightened the shadow areas in the eyes and then also explored the pano idea.. Here are the results. :) ... Am still debating as to whether the eyes are too bright now but I do like it better than the original.
thanks everyone for feedback! all is appreciated!


and the pano:

[Jasper Doest]

The pano is much more powerful IMO! Nice...

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I also like the pano. The eyes look a bit overdone, almost like little light bulbs. :)