Snowy Owl, Ocean Shores

Nice one Vicki! I was there as well during that year, flying in from Ohio to experience them at Ocean Shores. That photo brings back memories. If it were mine I would not center him as much and compose the image so he has room off the left where he is looking at. Maybe try a vertical comp too?

I was there a few times as well in 2012 and I liked the environment much better than the setting in Boundary Bay, Canada.
This image (and the redhead you posted earlier) suggests to me that the white balance you shot at was off making everything too warm. I have made that mistake before myself but it is easy to correct in processing. Not sure how you process but in DPP it is an easy click and in Photoshop it is a color temperature slider.
Bob

First of all, I think that this is really nice. You're only problem on this day was atmospheric haze. The fix is to shoot on a clear day. (One of those days when you can see "forever"). And as always, the closer the better.

RLK wrote:I was there a few times as well in 2012 and I liked the environment much better than the setting in Boundary Bay, Canada.
This image (and the redhead you posted earlier) suggests to me that the white balance you shot at was off making everything too warm. I have made that mistake before myself but it is easy to correct in processing. Not sure how you process but in DPP it is an easy click and in Photoshop it is a color temperature slider.
Bob

I use lightroom 6. I don't remember my setting back when I took this, as I probably didn't really know what the white balance even was at that time!  I can see how the redhead is too warm, I'm not sure I see it here, but I will try and see if it works out.  Thanks for the information. I am learning a LOT on this forum.
  Boundary Bay made it too hard to get close enough.  I went with a group of birders and they were yelling at photographers for walking on the trail, so I kept my mouth shut and didn't make a peep.  Later I talked to my friend who mentored me, and wrote a book about Owls and Woodpeckers, but I won't say his name here.
  He told me, that most of the trails on Boundary Bay did let you get much closer without disturbance, so staying on the road only, was not necessary.  Always glad I had him to lean on, when I was first starting out.
  I just updated the photo, rather than waiting and doing it again in a few days...

Todd Bauer wrote:First of all, I think that this is really nice. You're only problem on this day was atmospheric haze. The fix is to shoot on a clear day. (One of those days when you can see "forever"). And as always, the closer the better.

You are funny!  Yeah, those days are really hard to come by. Especially in the Pacific Northwest!  I used a flash without the better beamer in a snowy setting that was overcast and hazy, and it really helped popping the bird's eye and colors.   I just hope they come back here again so I can try things I've learned since then.  I've read and starting using tidbits from Greg Bartley's ebooks, and they are really helping me out a lot...


I've just updated the photo, thanks for the help

I just followed the advice and redid this photo, making most of the changes recommended...let me know what you guys think...

I agree with Todd. This is a very nice image given the light you were given. The image doesn't have the contrast it needs to really pop, and there's not much you can do about that in post! Enjoy the image, its really nice as is.