Dave, this is another incredible one! The colors, the detail. I don't have a problem with the twigs in front though others may mention them. I might get rid of the leftmost one that's poking up.
The stare is intense and direct. What an engaging and haunting photo. Beautifully done!!
with the eye and face in the clear like this and the detail so sharp this is very enjoyable despite the twigs.
of course it would be better without them...but I'm enjoying this a lot as is
+1 on the above comments. Despite the twigs, the beauty of this bird and the detail you've captured make this a great photo.
Do you have a 1.4X extender? In a situation like this, with twigs in the way, I would have slapped the extender on the lens and created a head & neck shot.
Hi Dave,
Another amazing close up! Hard to believe you are getting so much in focus at only F/4. I have been taking lots of shots of these guys over the past 3-4 years and I know how hard it can be to get this close and have such good detail. The nice thing about this photo is the environment and I would not change it. The owl's presence is so strong that you really don't notice the twigs. If anything I think they add to the image.
Take care,
Steve
P.S. - Love the detail on the feet with talons exposed!
Dave
The Bkgd complements the bird beautifully. Lovely pose and details in the owl.
I'm sure, some will prefer less twigs and others will say thery are OK
To me, this is a great habitat photo as it is
This is awesome!!! Would either crop off the top or add some more room on the sides to make it more of a horizontal rather than a square. I don't mind the grass in front of the bird as it gives a natural feel to the image.
Twigs and stuff don't bother me as a viewer as the strong presence of the bird tranfixes your view of it. The stare , the colour and the comp plus the detail all come together to make this a memorable image.
I have really enjoyed viewing your images of this bird.
Thanks everyone. The comments and suggestions are very much appreciated.
The owl stole the show here.
Just to finish the story. I showed up early and could not find the owl. As I was wondering what to do on a cold, windy and dark morning the owl came up and plopped down close to me. We both hung out for a while with the owl flitting here and there. I was moving into a bit better area with some decent perches.
When I felt more comfortable with the light, the owl reentered the scene and gave me multiple poses form three different perches. The owl then popped up, flew directly overhead and landed 50 or 60 feet away.
I turned, waved and thanked the owl while giving it the thumbs up. The owl promptly returned and gave me three new perches, multiple poses and all facing into the wind and very soft directional light.
It was amazing. I am sure others have had similar experiences.
Owl in Habitat
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