Little Owl (B&W)

[Andreas Liedmann]

• DxO PureRAW 4

hi folks ...
I know not the best idea to post a black and white image here in this forum , but I thought why not .
The main issue with this shot was that it was taken in late evening against a plain white sky ... more or less plain white , so the color version does not look very good .
So I went for a stark contrasting B&W

Canon EOS R3
RF 2,8 400 IS L + 2x TC
Tripod

F 6,3 ; Iso 6400 ; 1/500 sec

Processed with PR 4 , DT 4.8.1 and PSCC 2025 ; slight crop

Thanks for watching and commenting to my previous postings

Cheers Andreas

 

[Jonathan Ashton]

Hi Andreas, well as you say it is something different. Personally I would have posted a colour version, as far as I am concerned dark gloomy skies are a frequent occurrence - especially in Europe.
I am absolutely sure you would have checked the highlights but the area above the left eye appears a little featurless to me, the stick rising vertically from the branch is a little unfortunate (maybe that's why his eyes look a little glassy!!).
Sorry to sound negative but for me definitely colour would have been better.

 

[Andreas Liedmann]

HI Jon ...
i knew you would say , what you have said .
Fully alright that you see it differently and it is not too negative , just your honest opinion and no surprise .
Regarding the HL´s , yes they are featureless ... for me no problem in this case , as this is a stark contrasting image with no details in parts of blacks and the whites .
Nothing done specially to the eyes . Would agree about the stick ...

Anyway thanks for your feedback

Cheers Andreas

 

[William Dickson]

Hi Andreas. I like the pose, the detail on the bird, and the perch, but, I would remove the part that is sticking up towards the birds bum I am not a fan of black and white images, it just don't 'do it' for me. But, everyone has different opinions, and I am sure it will be liked by others.

Will

 

[Andreas Liedmann]

THX Will ... no worries that B&W doesn´t float your boat , i know it is somehow special for many folks

Cheers Andreas

 

[Dave Goldberg]

Andreas, what if you went the other direction and went with an extreme close crop to get a more dramatic take on the owl’s face and body?

 

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thx for your thoughts and feedback Dave ….
Not a real option , as i normally do not crop in hard …. and that would way too much pixel bashing IMHO
Cheers Andreas

 

[Dave Goldberg]

Thx for your thoughts and feedback Dave ….
Not a real option , as i normally do not crop in hard …. and that would way too much pixel bashing IMHO
Cheers Andreas

Yes, I am also very reluctant to crop deeply for the same reasons. But the owl’s head is so expressive in B&W, that I wondered if going in close and maybe adding some grain for a more abstract look might work in this instance.

Just a thought

Best regards,

Dave G.

 

[Andreas Liedmann]

Ohlala ... Dave , going abstract does not make it any better for this forum .... I do think .
But I might try it without let it surface here

Cheers Andreas

 

[Dave Goldberg]

Ohlala ... Dave , going abstract does not make it any better for this forum .... I do think .
But I might try it without let it surface here

Cheers Andreas

Perhaps you can find safe harbor in the "Out of the Box" forum

 

[Gerald Kelberg]

Hey Andreas!

I love these Little Owls - such terrific character in their expression. Did you know they are sometimes referred to as "German Owls" in New Zealand?

The black and white works for me. Looks great as a high contrast image.

Thanks for sharing,

Gerald

 

[Andreas Liedmann]

Perhaps you can find safe harbor in the "Out of the Box" forum

Well that could do it , but look at the views in the forum , to be honest not worth the effort IMHO.

 

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hey Andreas!

I love these Little Owls - such terrific character in their expression. Did you know they are sometimes referred to as "German Owls" in New Zealand?

The black and white works for me. Looks great as a high contrast image.

Thanks for sharing,

Gerald

Thanks Gerald .. glad you like it.
No , i did not know that they call it the " german owl "