Is the spot on his nose super distracting?

I want to enter this in the Alaska Magazine photo contest, this is the

original unedited version. Do you find that the stuff on his nose is

too distracting to win, or is it ok because it is awesome? Give me

your take on this subject, I need some professional opinion. Thanks.

I am not a pro. Not even anywhere near to it. But Yes, I do take keen interest in wild life photography. For me this is a very good photograph, fit for any contest. I have no probs with the patch on the nose at all. I think it gives it a natural touch. However, imho you need to work on the PP part a bit. I think you need to highlight black feathers around the eyes and burn a bit of the forehead. And yes the nose/beak needs sharpening and if you can bring out the veins in the eyes this is a winner..

Did not rate. Much good here, but issues as well. The straight on central focal point is interesting but possibly an angle shot from the side would hide the blemish. The focus loss on the beak is more of concern. Think of this as a portrait, would this be a pleasing photo of a person?

I agree with most of the above but IMO, to answer you question, yes, it does create a distraction. A bit of PS work could make this even better. See what b&w does...