2017 Image of the Week #5

[DavidEccleston]

Sorry for the minor delay in selecting the winner. My ISP decided to release a firmware update that bricked hundreds of thousands of cable modems yesterday. Thankfully my wife managed to snag a replacement this morning before they ran out of stock.

I'm giving this week to Joel's fantastic Northern Flicker. Clear and sharp, smooth background, and a large subject.

Stuart's Grey Owl is an awesome shot of a rare bird, but due to the poor shooting conditions, isn't the winning shot. Stuart, hopefully you get to see that owl again, but with some sunshine. Good job getting the AF to track in poor light and falling snow.

I also like Jamsus' colorful Cinciarella. Wish our birds were as colorful as these guys. Fairly sharp and lots of feather detail.

I really had a hard time deciding between these three. Consider yourself all winners if you like.

[Jonathan Huyer]

Stuart's Grey Owl is an awesome shot of a rare bird, but due to the poor shooting conditions, isn't the winning shot. Stuart, hopefully you get to see that owl again, but with some sunshine. Good job getting the AF to track in poor light and falling snow.

Just to voice an alternate opinion, I think the lighting for Stuart's shot is perfect and I love all the falling snow in the shot. It creates drama and adds a lot to the overall setting of the image. I'd be beyond delighted if I got a shot like that. Anyhow I don't want to take anything away from Joel's shot, which is also stellar. I like the fact that we have different judges each week for this challenge, because of the various perspectives we get from each.