A friend pointed this one out to me last week along a trail in WNC. It's amazing how well they blend into the scenery.
Nice shot. I like the subject, the DOF, the lighting and the composition. Like the almost monochrome tones and the way the tree trunk on the right echoes the slant of the owl's back and the coloration of the owl. This photo held my attention a long time. Very nice job.
Yes, I really like this - it's a great example of how breaking the rules can work brilliantly sometimes. If his eyes had been open, it would have been a very good shot of a screech owl. Closed, you focus on the shape, texture, colours and it's an intriguing study of natural disguise.
Looks great. I love seeing photos of owls. Question for you though. What are you using for a lens? Was this full frame or was there a great deal of cropping to get it this close? That brings up another question. How close were you to this owl? Islair
I used a Nikkor 300mm f4 and was fairly close, I would guess around fifteen feet. I don't think I cropped this one at all and it was handheld.
The DOF really accentuates the owl, and the detail in his feathers is stunning. Excellent capture. I agree with BLS that this photo held my attention for a long time. Great work!
Thanks folks, O'brien was on to something though, the image was soft. Even the shots I took from my monopod looked this way. I can't explain it beyond just shrugging and saying that I had an off day.
