Stan Cunningham
06-04-2011, 06:19 PM
I've been chasing these guys for a month and finally got lucky. It's an elf owl and weighs all of an ounce, little bit larger than a finch and the smallest member of the owl family.
They live in tree or saguaro cavities. When the female is incubating the male hunts and brings her food throughout the evening. I was lucky and this guy perched before he brought her the giant desert scorpion for her dinner. Much more impressive for a photo than the moth he brought earlier.
I had help with me, and he held the light so I could focus and move in closer.
Canon 7D, 500 F4
Shutter P at 1/320, F4. ISO 640 hand held, thanks to IS
580 EX flash -1 2/3 stops
Post processing was cropping, adding some vibrance, and increasing brightness on just the bird just a tad.
I got about 6 or so before he flew to the nest, and all good IQ. I can crop them so it's just the owl, but I left this one larger as to show he's looking at the nest and some of the perch. But if most of you think just a close up of the owl is good, I can go with that, at least with several of the other shots.
Thanks and look forward to your C and C's
They live in tree or saguaro cavities. When the female is incubating the male hunts and brings her food throughout the evening. I was lucky and this guy perched before he brought her the giant desert scorpion for her dinner. Much more impressive for a photo than the moth he brought earlier.
I had help with me, and he held the light so I could focus and move in closer.
Canon 7D, 500 F4
Shutter P at 1/320, F4. ISO 640 hand held, thanks to IS
580 EX flash -1 2/3 stops
Post processing was cropping, adding some vibrance, and increasing brightness on just the bird just a tad.
I got about 6 or so before he flew to the nest, and all good IQ. I can crop them so it's just the owl, but I left this one larger as to show he's looking at the nest and some of the perch. But if most of you think just a close up of the owl is good, I can go with that, at least with several of the other shots.
Thanks and look forward to your C and C's