Often we strive for eye contact and I for one love it! To me it engages with the viewer nicely. But for me, to get the best from your subjects is to give them space and to work with long lenses to avoid hassesment and pressure.
Thanks to those who viewed or posted a comment on the previous thread.
Steve
Subject: Little owl (Athene noctua) on hay bale looking direct to camera
Location: UK
Camera: Canon 1DX
Lens: 200-400f/4 (540mm) Gitzo tripod/Uniqball head
Exposure: 1/1250s at f/5.6 ISO640
Original format: Portrait, very slight crop afer minor leveling.
Subject distance: 7.2m
Processed via: LR CC (2015) & PS CC 2014
Comments
9 commentsThe owl is great! Good eye contact and detail. I would eliminate about half the straw in front if this were mine.
Nice eyes, Steve and the hay bale makes an interesting perch.
Steve,
Wonderful shot. I did not think of the amount of hay until I read Phil's comment. I wonder how it would look if a bit of the bottom hay were eliminated. Great catch!
Thanks folks.
Personally Phil I like the balance/weight of the hay bale, however not a problem to move the crop up, rather than crop in, just hate to crop tight and through good info away.
Will take a look, however it's often good to have another pair of eyes.
Nice shot!! I wonder how it would have looked if you had taken it in landscape position instead of portrait (to reduce the amount of straw), but also love it as it is right now.
'I wonder how it would have looked if you had taken it in landscape position instead of portrait'
All in good time Betty, all in good time...
Phil, something like this perhaps?
Nice one Stephen, with wonderful eye contact ! I do tend to like the repost even better, less hay. But in the end it's a mere matter of taste, the shot works both ways for sure. Cheers, Hans
Excellent contact with the owl Steve, and your techs are spot on as usual. The question here I think is rather personal, and it speaks to composition, which to me is in the hands of the composer. Excellent work-regardless of your final choice of crops.
I like the repost much better. To me, it is also a question of balance, with the heaviest weight given to the subject. I didn't object to the hay, I just thought it took up more canvas than necessary.