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Photo posted by Genny K. in the Avian gallery on 02/16/18 at 01:51 am EST
Registered on 06/05/06, 132 Posts, 2001 Comments
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Comment posted by Norma Tareila Matl on 02/16/18 at 08:29 am EST
Registered on 10/27/16, 229 Posts, 393 Comments
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Genny you nailed it, I like how he sits right on top of that evergreen tree and how you framed it to keep the other tree branches from blocking his head outline. Very nice capture. Isn't the excitement of capturing a beautiful owl all worth it. The colors certainly tell me the outdoor temps were very cold. You get that pink blue in the air when it dips below zero. He didn't mind. I feel the same about avian photography can be challenging and there are so many avian experts here on NPN but you nailed this one. It is a beautiful bird and you conveyed that very well. Thank you for reaching for your camera and going into the cold. Amazing 20 minutes with this Great Gray Owl!
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Norma Tareila-Matley
Tewksbury, MA
Rangeley, ME
“Photograph: a picture painted by light.”— Pablo Picasso
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Comment posted by biraj sarkar on 02/16/18 at 08:59 am EST
Registered on 01/17/18, 17 Posts, 20 Comments
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Comment posted by Jerry Austin on 02/16/18 at 09:50 am EST
Registered on 01/06/12, 651 Posts, 3448 Comments
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Lucky to have one of these in your yard.Beautiful bird and image. The sky is really nice.
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Jerry Austin
Fort Worth, Texas |
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Comment posted by Keith Bauer on 02/16/18 at 10:15 am EST
Registered on 11/20/03, 458 Posts, 4836 Comments
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A lovely encounter to be sure. Good for you. Maintaining the tones in the sky is a good choice, the but owl sure needs to have more more light on it. I played very quickly and made a selection of the owl to use as a mask to lighten just the owl. It really helped out the image.
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Comment posted by Kathy Snead on 02/16/18 at 10:32 am EST
Registered on 04/06/17, 104 Posts, 397 Comments
Oh gosh Genny. This is just lovely. I like everything about it. I do agree with Keith that you need more light on that owl. I use lightroom and the radial tool would be perfect. It doesn't need a ton , just a bit.
Good work!
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Comment posted by Dennis Plank on 02/16/18 at 2:33 pm EST
Registered on 01/28/08, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments
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Excellent, Genny. I really love your composition and the hint of pink in the bg. Those yellow eyes really pop in the large version. I don't know if it would get too gaudy, but I think you could get away with buming up the saturation on the bg to bring the pink out just a bit more and possibly add a touch of light to the beak which appears just short of obtaining a soft glow. Iether way, a lovely image that anyone in the Avian gallery would be proud of.
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Comment posted by Genny K. on 02/16/18 at 2:53 pm EST
Registered on 06/05/06, 132 Posts, 2001 Comments
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Thanks for the comments everyone. I didn't know how much I should lighten it. I had lightened it up some, but I did not do the bird by itself, except for using Hignlights/Shadows. There was such a soft color to the snow and sky, I didn't want to mess that up. Looking at it again just now, though, the owl does look dark, and that OOF spruce branch at the very bottom bothers me. Thnx for the suggestions.
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Comment posted by Max Waugh on 02/17/18 at 12:09 am EST
Registered on 09/26/08, 428 Posts, 2329 Comments
What a treat. Must be tough getting Great grays in the yard. 
It's really a lovely setting, and I like that you maintained the color in the sky by not overbrightening (though I see Keith's point about trying to bring out a bit more detail in the owl itself). I really like the frosty branches, but I wouldn't mind a slight crop from the bottom (maybe around that gap in the perch tree), in order to put the owl a bit lower in the frame so the viewer's eye isn't drawn to the space beneath.
Max
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Comment posted by Ry Birge on 02/17/18 at 10:08 am EST
Registered on 09/23/17, 118 Posts, 278 Comments
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What a great shot! Super pose making it a great composition. Might consider brightening the owl a bit to make it pop. Keep up the good work
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Comment posted by Hans Overduin on 02/18/18 at 12:30 pm EST
Registered on 08/31/11, 491 Posts, 3807 Comments
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Amazing image, the circumstance couldn't be better I'd say. You could try Keith's suggestion to lighten up the owl a bit - but I like it as presented ! A winner ! Cheers, Hans
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Comment posted by David Schoen on 02/18/18 at 1:37 pm EST
Registered on 11/06/06, 1213 Posts, 4587 Comments
Comment last edited by David Schoen on 02/18/18 at 1:38 pm EST
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I also agree that this is a very good image. Definitely a good experience. I do think the owl could be lightened up a bit. But despite that one small nit, you did a terrific job with the processing. Fill flash might have helped in this situation but you risk scaring the owl.
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Comment posted by Genny K. on 02/18/18 at 2:44 pm EST
Registered on 06/05/06, 132 Posts, 2001 Comments
Thanks for the comments and suggestions, everyone.
Interestingly, the next evening, when I went out to plug in the heater on my truck, I heard an owl hooting, faintly. Another one of those sounds, like the call of a loon, that is wonderful to hear.
I was lucky that I just happened to look out the window in that direction that morning! Maybe I ought to make a habit of doing that.
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Comment posted by John Tobias on 02/21/18 at 3:33 pm EST
Registered on 09/12/09, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments
The owl could be lightened some, but in a way I like this image just as it is. I think the dark owl plays well against the snowy surroundings, and the slightly pinkish cast adds to it. Sure glad you looked out the window. Thanks for sharing.
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