Canon DSLR Challenge #23 -- Birds

Taken with an XTi and a 400mm f/5.6L

Well, it's time to declare the winners and what a great turnout it was as well. Great work from everyone.

1) What a Poser - In2Photos - clearly the winner, superb color, sharpness, clarity. Only slight defects could be the small amount of shadow, and it could have done with a bit more of an imaginative title!! Well done, Mike!

2) Owls about that! - RobUk - superb title, great framing and expression from the owl, love the feel of connection. Only lost out to Mike's on pernickety technical details. Would have been nice not to see the cage mesh behind (hard to avoid, I know), a little more contrast would have popped the image a little more too. Nice one Rob, I would have been pleased to have submitted that one if I took it.

3) Thinking - 4Hero - I really like this one because it has great placement. You can see where the bird is in relation to it's environment, giving the shot context - something that's hard to include in many wildlife shots. Even though other shots are probably better technically, this one wins out.

Many thanks everyone for the particularly strong field.

It's already 7PM MST?? Why am I still at work?? LOL

Good Job and Congratulations Mike!! Nice photos everyone.

monty28428 wrote in post #3972381
It's already 7PM MST?? Why am I still at work?? LOL

Good Job and Congratulations Mike!! Nice photos everyone.

It's almost 9pm GMT...

Sorry, forgot to edit the inital post.

Congratz all! It was fun

Yeah CONGRATS ONE AND ALL Good job...

Well Done Mike, great shot and a sure winner

Thanks for the comments Pete and I agree with you. I really do need to get my head around photoshop quite a bit more!! The owl had a real attitude problem and didn't like me being anywhere near the cage and it took about 40 mins to get this photo, but it's one of my favourite owl shots and well worth the time it took to get it ............. Rob

Robuk wrote in post #3976802
Well Done Mike, great shot and a sure winner

Thanks for the comments Pete and I agree with you. I really do need to get my head around photoshop quite a bit more!! The owl had a real attitude problem and didn't like me being anywhere near the cage and it took about 40 mins to get this photo, but it's one of my favourite owl shots and well worth the time it took to get it ............. Rob

No problem Rob.

Try this. Go into Levels (Ctrl+L) and just nudge the middle triangle to the right just a touch. Often, that's all I do to add a bit of contrast.

Pete wrote in post #3972238
Well, it's time to declare the winners and what a great turnout it was as well. Great work from everyone.

1) What a Poser - In2Photos - clearly the winner, superb color, sharpness, clarity. Only slight defects could be the small amount of shadow, and it could have done with a bit more of an imaginative title!! Well done, Mike!

Many thanks everyone for the particularly strong field.

Yowzers! I won! I almost forgot about the competition. My titles lately have stunk it up pretty bad. I will try to work on that. At least the pic is worth a hoot (or is that Robuk's pic? Get it? hoot! Aye! I am all giddy!).

monty28428 wrote in post #3972381
It's already 7PM MST?? Why am I still at work?? LOL

Good Job and Congratulations Mike!! Nice photos everyone.

Thanks.

Robuk wrote in post #3976802
Well Done Mike, great shot and a sure winner

Thanks. Congrats to you as well.

well done Mike, that's a great shot!

Thanks for the 3rd place Pete

4hero wrote in post #3978182
well done Mike, that's a great shot!

Thanks for the 3rd place Pete

Thanks Neil. Congrats to you as well.