Habitat or clean

[allanrube]

I am wondering what others think. If you were to make a print to hang on your wall which would your prefer - the top or bottom one. I purposely made them small as I am only interested in one aspect of the images - clean bg or habitat.
I have an opinion but most people who have seen these disagree.

[Jim Buescher]

Both are beautiful images but if I had to pick one for the wall it would be the high-key one on top...simple comp that would look great in a good mat/frame.

[Joey Lounsbury]

I would go for the bottom one. I much prefer seeing birds in their habitats rather than on an open perch.

[Melissa Groo]

That's so hard! I like them equally for different reasons! Maybe ever so slightly the habitat one.

[Alan Melle]

I like both but the habitat image gets my vote!

[John Chardine]

I wish these Snowys would come over to the east!

The "habitat" image is my pick. There's much more interest here and I find the low camera angle better too.

Nicely done Alan.

[allanrube]

Thanks for the comments.

[robkipp]

The Owl with its natural habitat is the one I would rather have a print of.

Rob Kipp

[Norm Dulak]

The habitat image has my vote, but they are both very nice.

[Doug Brown]

Definitely the habitat version.

[Phil Ertel]

Another vote for the habitat version. Very nice!

[Sid Garige]

Another vote for habitat version.

[Mital Patel]

It depends a lot on the wall actually .. the color of wall and the one's individual thought.

I'll hang both if you send me large jpg's for sure .

But as we are here voting i'll vote mine on the clean one.

[Nancy Bell]

I intended to chose the clean bkgd one but the more I looked at the habitat one I really liked how the grasses curved around the owl. So at this moment I am leaning towards the bottom one. But I also love the intensity of the top one. You gave us a very hard choice!

[James Fuller]

For me, habitat is the only way to go. Much more interesting in my opinion. The top shot is great but, I feel like a would get bored looking at it over time, that is a better image for a field guide.

[allanrube]

Thanks for the additional comments. The "vote" is one sided, yet 15 comments out of 158 who looked suggests to me that most people do not have a strong opinion that one is better (or worse.)

[Grady Weed]

By far the habitat is way way better. It gives the viewer a sense of realism. The only way to go as far as I am concerned. Strong enough for you!?

[Jim Crosswell]

Another vote for the habitat image.

[Grace Scalzo]

Habitat, by far, from me.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Habitat. I love simple high key images, but for print the habitat one would look so much better on a wall...

[Chris Martinez]

Habitat for me. Love the way the bird flows to the right whilst the grasses push left.
Interesting composition I might add but it works

[arash_hazeghi]

Both are great the habitat one will look better in a large print

[Jim Kranick]

Habitat.

[Blake Cook]

habitat for sure

[allanrube]

Thanks for all the additional comments. The "vote" is going strongly for the habitat shot.

[Don Railton]

habitat...

[bob williams]

For me, it's the bottom one, I love to see "habitat" in bird and wildlife images

[MarkHendricks]

I like the bottom one. It's "real" to me. And from a photography standpoint it conveys you were out in the environment to get that shot. The first one is wonderful as well. The first one is something that reminds of me of a photograph I would have seen in the "Zoobooks" magazines as a child. You have two winners there ultimately.

[paul leverington]

Habitat one

[Leon DeVries]

I nearly always prefer the wildlife photos in their habitat. Nbr 2 for me also-great shots !!

[allanrube]

I like how people are still finding this poll. When I posted it I liked the non-habitat version better. It was clean. While it was just a bird on a stick, it was not a typical small bird on a stick.

Since I posted the images, however, I have changed my mind. The habitat does not get in the way of the bird at all.

[Robert vanMierop]

Habitat. I love simple high key images, but for print the habitat one would look so much better on a wall...

My thoughts exactly. Excellent images Allan. The habitat version gives the feeling that the viewer is "there". The high key version makes me feel like I'm looking at a great image at a photo gallery.

[allanrube]

Good point. Thanks.