Long Eared Owl

[Herb Houghton]

Here's a new owl species for me, nestled deep in a spruce tree with too much cover to capture it's tail.
Herb

1D mark III
500 f4 with 1.4x tc
iso 500
F 8
1/125 sec
gitzo tripod/wimberley

[Jim Poor]

Looks like a totem pole. I really like the eyes and ears on this one.

There are some pretty hot highlights on the viewer's left side, but I think there is enough detail there that it can be brought under control.

I'd consider burning in the left edge a bit as the really bright foliage there draws my eye away from a very nice looking owl.

[Robert Amoruso]

Herb,

Stunning looking bird and gaze - you did well getting him clear of obstructions. Jim had a good observation on the blown highlights. Less light here and some fill-flash on the bird to compensate would have helped to tame the contrast.

[Beth Goffe]

I'm envious that you were able to get such a great, clear shot of a long-eared. They so love to hunker against the tree trunk but this one is free of obscuring foliage. Too bad about the highlights but the owl itself is beautiful.

[Herb Houghton]

Thanks for the C & C folks. I have several frames when the flash fired ( this shot it didn't ), so I'll try some more pp on them to even out the lighting.