India birds: Great Horned Owl

Just came back from a trip to Kutch district in India (Gujarat state). One of the dryest places in India and borders Pakistan. Notable places include the Great Rann of Kutch which is basically a desert. I visited places around Bhuj and I will post a few shots every day from this trip.

First up is the Great Horned Owl. This one was so well camouflaged that we never saw this one the first time we went looking for it. We finally gave up and another bird flew into the branches that are barely seen in these photos. While looking for that bird, we spotted this owl!

C & C is always welcome.

-- Vivek

Vivek,
Yes, close to perfect camouflage! Even the camera seems to have had difficulty - the rock behind is in sharper focus than the bird. May be you should have tried manual. Could you tell us some details about the conditions and the gear you used?

Regi

Nice capture on what I consider to be one of the most aggressive Raptors! i have a few killer shots myself of this awesome bird....

Nice job.

Great Horned Owl from India the Most Aggressive Raptor?

Eric Diller said:

Nice capture on what I consider to be one of the most aggressive Raptors! i have a few killer shots myself of this awesome bird....

Nice job.

Click to expand...

Eric,

Are you saying that this Great Horned Owl is the most aggressive raptor. That's a huge statement!

Asher

Framing camouflaged birds and wild animals in a presentation

Vivek Khanzode said:

Just came back from a trip to Kutch district in India (Gujarat state). One of the dryest places in India and borders Pakistan. Notable places include the Great Rann of Kutch which is basically a desert. I visited places around Bhuj and I will post a few shots every day from this trip.

Click to expand...

Vivek,

Your pictures are so appreciated. Thanks for sharing.

Vivek Khanzode said:

First up is the Great Horned Owl. This one was so well camouflaged that we never saw this one the first time we went looking for it. We finally gave up and another bird flew into the branches that are barely seen in these photos. While looking for that bird, we spotted this owl!

Click to expand...

So here's your first picture:



© Vivek Khanzode Great Horned Owl, A fierce raptor, Kutch district in India (Gujarat state)

Yes, the owl is so well camouflaged! This creates a conundrum for showing off your picture. The very truth of the matter works against you. So what can we do?

First, what is you goal? I think it is to share your excitement and feelings of wonder of the beauty of this fierce hard to spot predator. You have placed it within a tight white border and then enclosed that in a well engineered black frame. Doing so, the poor bird is overwhelmed. I think we must resist the temptation to use these harsh frames which draw more attention than the subtle image you have made. So here's a modest suggestion. Dump the frame!

Why not remove the black frame and add a larger white matt only with a tiny drop shadow on the outside? That way it will stand out against our web page when you post.

Asher

Altering the balance between the camouflaged wild animal and it's background.

Vivkek,

You could go one step further and work with the original image and use adjustment to the levels, curves, hue and saturation as well as selective focus to bring out the owl from it's so similar background. This is where your work distinguishes between the work of the camera and the work of the visionary photographer. We must not be limited by the machine.

I think we have only seen so far a glimpse of the beauty in your shot. I'm not asserting that any masterpiece is hidden there but I do strongly believe that your presentation overwhelms and imprisons what is after all a delicate matter, the bird's defense at being noticed.

Asher