Owl Be Darned
I got a new phone.
It's a nice phone. I like it. The camera is good and the quality of image is good, but I can't help but question the use of AI in the image processing for certain shots.
For example:
Here's shot with good, standard zoom.
I like it and I can see the owls clearly. It has rich detail. It looks similar to how the scene looked when viewed through my binoculars.
By contrast, here's an image goes past the standard 10x zoom and uses an "all-new generative imaging model to intelligently recover and refine intricate details." (You can just say "AI" guys)
It looks flat. The lighting is wrong. I know it is not a real image. It reminds me of a Facebook filter from 15 years ago. Is it cool that it sharpens the image and makes it more crisp? Sure, I guess. But that's not what I saw and I know it. I'm not swearing off the enhanced zoom completely, but I plan to use it sparingly.
Anyway, I'm excited to have spotted these owls again for the season. They tend to be more active in the winter so I'm hoping to see them more regularly now.
Previous Posts
- Geese1 sighting: Geese2025-09-26
- Birds are Back! (they never left)23 sightings: Mississippi Kite, Blue Jay, Blue Jay, Red-Tailed Hawk, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, Brown Thrasher, Brown Creeper, Great Horned Owl, Great Horned Owlets, American Robin, Lesser Goldfinch, Costa's Hummingbird, Gila Woodpecker, Steller's Jay, Ring-necked Duck, Red-winged Blackbird, Clark's Nutcracker, Black-billed Magpie, Red-Tailed Hawk, Red-Tailed Hawk, Red-Tailed Hawk2025-09-21
- June 20247 sightings: Common Nighthawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Brown-headed Cowbird, Osprey, Laughing Gull, Great Horned Owl, Purple Martin2024-06-30
- May 20244 sightings: Ducklings, Brown Thrasher, Common Grackle, Red-headed Woodpecker2024-05-31
- April 202414 sightings: Mourning Dove, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, White-Throated Sparrow, Great Horned Owl Fledgling, Vermillion Flycatcher, Cactus Wren, Gambel's Quail, Black-throated Sparrow, Virginia's Warbler, Phainopepla, Gila Woodpecker, White-winged Dove, Gold Finch2024-04-30
- March 20241 sighting: Northern Mockingbird2024-03-31
- February 20246 sightings: California Towhee, Pelican, Black Phoebe, American Crow, Island Scrub Jay, Anna's Hummingbird2024-02-29
- January 20243 sightings: Tufted Titmouse, Bald Eagle, Chickadee2024-01-31
- December 20232 sightings: Red-bellied Woodpecker, Cooper's Hawk2023-12-31
- November 20239 sightings: Peacock, Common Blackbird, Rose-ringed Parakeet, European Herring Gull, Ruddy Turnstone, Eurasian Spoonbill, European Stonechat, Eurasian Magpie, White Stork2023-11-30
- September 20231 sighting: Northern Cardinal2023-09-30
- July 20231 sighting: Pileated Woodpecker2023-07-31
- April 20235 sightings: Mallard, Canada Goose, Northern Flicker (Yellow-Shafted), Killdeer, Song Sparrow2023-04-30
- March 20236 sightings: Bird House, Dark-eyed Junco, European Starling, House Sparrow, Blue Jay, American Robin2023-03-31
- February 20235 sightings: Roadrunner, Unknown species, White-crowned Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, House Finch2023-02-28
- January 20232 sightings: White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker2023-01-31
- June 20221 sighting: Barred Owls2022-06-30
- May 20222 sightings: Peacock (White), Golden Eagle2022-05-31
- January 20221 sighting: Great Blue Heron2022-01-31
- May 20211 sighting: Vermilion Flycatcher2021-05-31
- May 20161 sighting: Mallard2016-05-31