No, the ears have not been lopped off. If you look closely you can see them laid back on the head of this largest of owls, Bubo virginianus. Those owl eyes once again provide a strong anchor in this composition, also helped by the framing of the foreground trees. This large predatory bird can fly silently at night, swooping down in stealth upon its prey of a wide variety of creatures from beatles to rabbits. Note how nicely the otherwise drab overcast lighting renders this regal subject, revealing detail in both shadows and light. Had this been shot in direct sunlight, some of this detail would have been lost, and the emphasis of the eyes probably minimized.

Home ~ Gallery ~ Shows ~ Copyright ~ Buy Prints ~ Wallpaper ~ Artist ~ Technical ~ Links ~ Contact