Burrowing Owl - testing the handholder.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Taken as the light was fading fast and already quite dim. A coastal fog blocked the sun that evening, but made for some nice even light and subdued colours. Lying flat on the ground and using my elbows as a "tripod" I was able to create a number of sharp images of this fella at 1/50s. and lower. This is my favorite one for the head angle (slightly looking right and down) and foot up. Two weeks later and I still have a nice small "souvenir" wound on my elbow from a dry piece of vegetation that punctured the skin:D

Canon 40D + 100-400L @260mm, 1/50s., f/6.3, ISO 800, +0.3 EC, handheld, natural light, full frame.

[Steve Canuel]

Very nice. Great job of steady shooting. Colors, pose, sharpness, all look good to me.

[Bonnie Block]

Daniel--great shooting at that low speed. A good image and well earned!

[Fabs Forns]

Lovely head tilt and low angle. DOn't complain, at least you didn't find the red anthill, as I always do :)

[Grady Weed]

I think he is trying to out do you here. You were on the ground and trying to stay still, he was on one foot and trying to move to make you move. Looks like both of you compromised to make a nice image in the end. The eyes make it for me.

[Ramon M. Casares]

Lovely pose, and calm atitude form the bird, great ambient/BG, light and detail, a bit centered IMO, but great though. COngratulations!

[Gyorgy Szimuly]

Really a favourite :) The pose and the headturn is unique. Have you sharpened the eyes selectively? It looks incredible sharp.

Szimi

[Randy Stout]

jDaniel:

Nice all the way around. I find the composition fine, because it is a vertical, so centering it is OK with me.

Very sharp, esp. considering the shutter speed/hand hold.

Eyes are riviting (sp?). My favorite bit of all is the 'monopod' pose, with just one leg down.

Cheers

Randy

[Art Kornienko]

Not much to add to this one Daniel, pretty stunning and great light, 1/50 too, wow. Looks like you were able to get fairly close. Lovely shot, congrats.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Really a favourite :) The pose and the headturn is unique. Have you sharpened the eyes selectively? It looks incredible sharp.

Szimi

Thanks Szimi. The eyes weren't sharpened selectively...the owl was sharpened as a whole.

[James Shadle]

Danny Boy, how did I miss this?
All the tech stuff looks great.
The composition and especially the perspective makes this a winner in my book.

I could only suggest that a touch of catch light would make this excellent image even stronger.

James