Original colour version of the Great Grey Owl

I'm not submitting this for the competition. I just wanted to know if people preferred this to the black and white version.

comments (6)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

It's still in the competition regardless :)

I do prefer this color version because the eyes are more expressive, whilst the photo as a whole still has a black and white "feel" due to a lack of vibrant colors. Posted 12 years ago
1. Robert Embley
  
  Giant Tortoise
  
  I agree that due to the lack of colour in the rest of the image, it really draws the viewers eyes to the eyes of the owl. If I had photoshop I'd have enjoyed playing around adjusting the colour of the eyes to make them a richer yellow.
  Thanks for your input Ferdy, it's always appreciated. Posted 12 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    No problem. I use both Lightroom and Photoshop. In this case, I probably would have used Lightroom's paint tool to increase the exposure of the eyes. They're still quite intruiging so it's not needed that much. Posted 12 years ago

alxmb

Mountain Gorilla

I think I prefer this one as well. Posted 12 years ago

Frankhuizen Photography

Lion

My eyes are indeed more drawn to the owl's eyes in this photo, so I also prefer this one. Posted 12 years ago

Christine Young

Lion

From today's Facebook post:

Nicknamed the “ghosts of the forest”, great grey owls (Strix nebulosa) are magnificent, elusive owls that live in the mountains and boreal forests of Eurasia and North America. They hold the honor of being the world’s largest owl by length. Their size is partly an illusion though: they have voluminous, fluffy plumage, which makes them look much larger than they actually are.

Great grey owls are a very reclusive species that are rarely seen by humans. They have mastered the art of moving silently and deliberately, blending in nearly invisibly among the trees, and disappearing into the forests like a puff of smoke. Their ghost-like qualities are enhanced by their incredible hearing. These owls can locate and capture prey moving 60 cm (2 ft) beneath the snow! Their large facial discs, known as “ruffs” can focus sound, kind of like radar dishes. The feathers on the discs direct sound towards the owl’s ear openings. To further benefit their hearing, their ears are asymmetrical! One ear sits low, while the other sits high, which helps them triangulate the sound and pinpoint their prey. Very awesome, but there’s more…They also have large, bony cups surrounding their ear openings, which further funnel the sound. And, they can rapidly turn their heads 270 degrees towards a sound without having to worry about rupturing an artery or breaking their necks. It’s safe to say that these owls are not only visually stunning, but that they also possess some amazing adaptations that make them perfectly suited for their niche in nature. {Spotted in the UK by JungleDragon user, Robert Embley} #JungleDragon #Owl #Greatgreyowl #Strixnebulosa Posted 5 years ago

The Great grey owl

The great grey owl or great gray owl is a very large owl, documented as the world's largest species of owl by length. It is distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, and it is the only species in the genus ''Strix'' found in both Eastern and Western Hemispheres. In some areas it is also called Phantom of the North, cinereous owl, spectral owl, Lapland owl, spruce owl, bearded owl, and sooty owl.

Info 33 1

Similar species: Owls

Species identified by Ferdy Christant