Adding Background

[Firemaine]

When I took this picture it was a little lighter out but it came out darker.
I added some clouds from the same day and brightened his eyes.
(Still trying to learn Photoshop CS2)

Before:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scfd/419444271/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/419444271_55bdfe8e17.jpg" width="500" height="439" alt="Barred Owl" /></a>

After:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scfd/420003989/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/91/420003989_7cbcd5204d.jpg" width="500" height="437" alt="Barred Owl3" /></a>

[Christa]

His eyes look a little freaky to me. Almost like taxidermy-ish. I think I prefer the prior white but let me also say that I have never seen a live owl. :)

[wulf]

I'd agree that the "after" looks a little extreme - it might be interesting to blend the two together for more subtle enhancement unless you want a deliberately unnatural effect.

While you are doing all that, I would also consider cropping the picture a little to move the owl from the centreline and make it larger in the overall image.

Anyway, how did you go about adding the background clouds?

Wulf

[yurik]

I think the "after" eyes are too freaky..
and I don't know if it's just because I know that you photoshopped, but the background just doesn't seem believable to me. I think cropping in an overcast grey-ish sky will match better with the lighting of the owl