Saw-whet Owl (captive)

[Raymond Barlow]

1/40s f/7.1 at 270.0mm iso320
D300 / 200-400 VR

One from a shoot last fall at the raptor center... I am looking forward to a few more
workshops this season with these beauties, and will be searching my creative instincts for some new and cool environments.

(Cloned out the jessies)

[Ramon M. Casares]

Just lovely bird, great pose, light, BG, detail, colors and comp. IMO the perch going OOF is a tad dostracting. Congratulations!

[Randy Stout]

Ray:

The fantastic eyes and pleasant background make this image. Yes, some issues with tail merge on perch, OOF area in front part of perch, but the eyes are riveting.

It must have been spitting a bit of rain, several tracts in URC.

Did I see the word clone in your post? I didn't think that word was in your photographic vocabulary! :)

Just chuckling. I suppose removing the jesses is different from my moving your sandhills to the RUC in one of your previous images, but it is a very slippery slope, that cloning stuff.

Cheers.

Randy

[Jasper Doest]

I love the eyes in this one. And while I normally like images composed like this, I think it would work better if you would put emphasis to the eyes by framing a bit tighter. There seems to be a slight yellow cast in this photograph...

[Chris van Rooyen]

Great posture and I like the eye contact and soft light. Background is very appealing. THe OOF part of the perch is perhaps a bit too heavy?

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I particularly like the eyes and BG. Another vote for a slightly tighter crop and I would tone down the whites more.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

The eyes are killer Ray. Captive or not, this rocks. I agree with Jasper re: tighter framing. What a cool little dude this is! :)

[arash_hazeghi]

This is a killer shot, excellent, it doesn't get any better!

[Raymond Barlow]

Thanks for the nice comments everyone... yes Randy we all can slip on the rope a bit., but I don't remember suggesting to anyone that I do not clone out distractions??? I have no problem with anyone’s digital art, do as you wish, and have fun., I think we are all entitled as artist to make our own decisions as to what we will, or won't do in photography, editing, lighting, etc. Your concept of removing the birds in one part of the frame, and replacing them somewhere else is cool, the end result is very pleasing to the eye., but I do not think you are sliding down a rope.

It is simple personal choice., we can do as little or as much as we wish., as I always say, "whatever turns your crank" If people think I am sliding down a rope because I am cloning, cool, happy to be there! They just don't realize that photography is art, and creativity. It doesn't matter what you do with any camera, there is manipulation. So we all can hopefully enjoy and share the experiences.

To be honest, before I posted this image I did move the birds more to the right., but then I said to myself, this image is pretty cool, I could not feel right about doing this, so I deleted it., guilt I guess. It is just something I do not want to do to my images, but it sure doesn’t mean that I look down on someone who does.
I am very confident with my decisions in editing, I like my result's and what I like most is learning, so this is why I participate here in BPN., thanks again for your help!

[Randy Stout]

Ray:

You are an early riser :).

I agree with your statements above. If you are doing strict documentary work, you don't move things around or change the image in a significant way. But everyone knows that the camera does not see as the eye does, and often some of our adjustments in the image are designed to bring the image closer to what we saw when we took it.

If you approach your photography from the art standpoint, then everything is fair game, as long as you disclose the changes when appropriate.

I was just being a bit flippant with my comment, was not trying to impugn your ethics.

Our photography gives us an endless canvas to create on, so lets all enjoy it!

Randy

[Raymond Barlow]

hey Randy.,.. I never sleep!

Yes indeed., and I will never understand why people argue this issue., in this age of digital, we all are creators, and what and how we create is up to the individual... be happy for them! I hosted a workshop today with this same owl, (and others) and one young lady did not hold her camera level or vertical for more then 10% of her images!! I look at her monitor after we were finished... how cool!!! And good for her, she was daring to be different.

It is all just for fun most of the time anyhow., exploring ones own creative limits is really something of a challenge., thanks for your comments.

[Randy Stout]

Ray:

I was at a wedding two years ago, and when I saw the proofs, about 20% of the images were taken at at 10-15 angle off the vertical. Struck me as pretty odd, but apparently that is 'the new style'. Perhaps your student had been influenced by that trend?

Anyway, great fun can be had by all!

Randy

[Raymond Barlow]

Ray:

I was at a wedding two years ago, and when I saw the proofs, about 20% of the images were taken at at 10-15 angle off the vertical. Struck me as pretty odd, but apparently that is 'the new style'. Perhaps your student had been influenced by that trend?

Anyway, great fun can be had by all!

Randy

I told her she was watching too much Batman!