Up Close with Short-eared Owls

[retief]

I always like it when the SEO's give us close fly-bys, and I am able to keep up with them

The first 3 images are relatively small crops to remove some dead space top and right, bottom one is "as-is". I just never get tired of watching these little guys.

Some folks comment "too bad you clipped the wing tips", I often do this on purpose when I crop and this does not bother me in general at all. There was a disply of internation bird photographs at the Burke Museum here a couple of years ago, about 80% of the images had wing tips clipped. I asked a friend of mine who has been published in National Geographic about this, and her comments were that this adds a bit of "tension" to the image, helps to clarify lines to follow, and often the wing tips are rather uninteresting anyway, and certainly not the focus of the image. So in images like these, where I truly want the focus on the facial disc, not an issue.

Your opinions please?

 

[Mike-PDX]

From this non-expert

I'm certainly not an expert in bird-in-flight photography. So my opinions might not help you win contest ribbons. But you asked...

These are all WAY better than I could have done. I really like the first three, and I have no problem with clipped wings when it's obvious that you did it on purpose. In the last shot, however, the clip looks to my eye to be unintentional. It's too close to the wing tip. And for that reason, I would have preferred that you had captured the whole wing.

Just my measily $.02. I often say that it's easier to criticise than to create, and that's certainly true in this case.

 

[retief]

Just my measily $.02. I often say that it's easier to criticise than to create, and that's certainly true in this case.

Thanks, Mike, I'd put this at least at a nickel's worth myself

That is a very good point you make. Funny thing is that the only image where I slightly clipped a bit more was in the third one, and that was just a very small bit on the left. But the comment of the "intentional" vs. "unintentional" is a good one. I do wish the danged owl had been a touch higher in the frame in the last shot, they just don't take direction as well as I would like. Perhaps a slight crop off the bottom to make it look "intentional", or even cloning back in the wing tips might help. Hmmm, I'll have to try that tonight and see how it looks.

Thanks very much for the comments, much appreciated.

 

[fiznatty]

Nice shots, Bill. Still interested in joining you some time to shoot these birds.

I prefer to not cut off wing tips so I have more options to work with when processing an image. However, I think tighter close-ups work fine. Numbers 1 and 3 here and my favorite shots from this collection.

Max

 

[Dave Cowell]

Very nice, Bill! Are these the Rawlins road owls? I had zero luck with them there last year. I need to make it up there some time this year for the geese and eagles...and preferably sooner rather than later

I'd rather not clip wing tips for the same reasons as Max. If the photo works with them clipped though, it works. Of this series I like the last the most, clipped wing and all.

Dave

Dave

 

[retief]

Thanks, Max and Dave. In general I agree with you, if I have enough room I sure would rather have full structure to work with, without a doubt. Then I can make any "artsy-fartsy" decisions myself. But darned if I am going to pass up a shot when they get "up close and personal"

You folks are always welcome to join me, I watch the weather each day and especially if I am working out of my Marysville office it is a easy, and short, trip up in the afternoon. I find the time from 2:30-4:00PM to be about the best in this spot.

Dave, I shot the Rawlins Road owls for a number of years, until those brilliant folks from the State decided to take out the tree line and rearrange a few other bits. Since then, about the last 2 years I think, I keep going by there but have not seen any good Owl action. This spot is closer for me, just outside of Stanwood.

 

[JaniceL]

Great series. I wish there was an area near me where I could see a little owl action.