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Thread: Little Owl

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    Default Little Owl

    I am sure she is trying to look evil !
    This is another from one of the three Little owl sites sites I’ve been working.
    I would only usually see her (think it’s a female) leaving one of the poplar trees in a clump.
    Whilst searching for a nest hole with binoccs, I noticed the scratches on the branch. Using a bit of “fieldcraft “ hunch work I reckoned it might be a used as landing spot.
    Using the car as a hide and the lens through some cloth in the window I waited and I had been right.! Great stuff. Fieldcraft these days also means sticking a lens out of a car window they tell me too!!
    Not a high IQ again with the low range gear but also a big crop. At least I got my more natural backdrop!! D200
    Sigma 50-500mm
    640 ISO
    250th @f7
    60% of full frame. Sharpened CZM.
    Cheers
    JohnR

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    Enjoy reading your back stories, John. TFS. Excellent observation and fieldcraft.
    Very nice eye contact, but do wish the light on the face was even. The green bg is natural yet soft enough to not distract. What mildly fights for my attention is the oof trunk/branch (triangle) on the LLC.
    Love the claws on this little guy.
    Last edited by Sidharth Kodikal; 01-10-2014 at 11:13 AM.

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    Such funny character. Wish you could crop tighter.

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    Vertical crop, perhaps?

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    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Hi
    Thanks both
    Sidharth - The trouble was the light coming into the open gap in the tree from the leftl. I was a bit retiscent to brighten theright side as I thoughtit might lookodd. Can se what you mean rethe OOF lower left. Willsort it.
    Troy- Thanks- Not sure the IQ will stand it . It will crop but the image would obviously be smaller. I think I was pushing the capabilities of the D200 and the lens a fair bit. It is already quite a crop.
    I will try it.
    Cheers
    John

    PS Tried it. WDYT ?
    Last edited by John Robinson; 01-10-2014 at 11:54 AM. Reason: Suggestions taken on board.

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    Forum Participant Richard Unsworth's Avatar
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    John

    I am really enjoying your Owl series, I am doing my best with several here and have now acquired na small hide.
    My subject from before did a runner for 2 weeks but happily is back today! Love the way you bring out the characters in your subjects, also your images are quite different.

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    BPN Member Bill Dix's Avatar
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    Great stare from this little guy. And nice natural setting. The vertical crop takes care of my concerns in the OP; don't know if it pushes the limits of the IQ, but looks good to me. What fun to have these guys around. Nice fieldcraft (carcraft?).

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    The repost looks very good. Great eye contact and wonderful pose and perch.

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    Johnny, the repost looks good. I only saw Burrowing Owls on a dirt mound, so this looks very good. I see a little bit blurring, whic I suspect due to motion blur due to your low SS. Could you have opened up the lens more to gain shutter spped, or you think this Sigma needs to close down for sharpness? TFS Loi.

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    Hi Loi
    As I mentioned, the D200 was not that good at high ISO. Thats the first thing. This is a very large crop too.Then, the Sigma really needs good light and stability, but no more than any other 500mm without optical stabilisation. Do you remember the old rule that the shutter speed needed for telephotos is roughly the same as the lens focal length. That is- 500th second for a 500mm lens etc. Again that is with no image stabilisation. So in effect I did quite well resting on a car window ledge at 250th second. Thats why the f7 was the aperture the A setting on the camera worked out at. Hope that explains it a bit .
    Cheers
    John

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    Quote Originally Posted by Johnny Robinson View Post
    Hi Loi
    As I mentioned, the D200 was not that good at high ISO. Thats the first thing. This is a very large crop too.Then, the Sigma really needs good light and stability, but no more than any other 500mm without optical stabilisation. Do you remember the old rule that the shutter speed needed for telephotos is roughly the same as the lens focal length. That is- 500th second for a 500mm lens etc. Again that is with no image stabilisation. So in effect I did quite well resting on a car window ledge at 250th second. Thats why the f7 was the aperture the A setting on the camera worked out at. Hope that explains it a bit .
    Cheers
    John
    Hi Johnny, for a perfecty static subject, of course you should have no issue shotting at 1/250th with good support and IS, I was wondering if you had any bird movement, in that case your low SS would result in that part of the bird a little less sharp. Loi

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    Hi Loi
    As! said originally the IQ is not the best - its a massive crop, and the lens dose not have stabilisation.. None of the bird is of my usual quality anyway so it probably is wind movement in the tree or bird movement.
    All the bird looks the same to me.
    Cheers
    JohnR

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    This is a lovely shot. The background color complements well with the owl. I personally prefer the original post though than the vertical crop.

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    nice image Johnny,like the vertical best,but they are both nice,image IQ is good on my screen,I think the BG shows off the bird well.

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    I think it's really nice and the vertical crop lets me focus on the owl more.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/awscully/

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    Finally - Thanks all.
    I feel this is one of my favourite Little Owl pictures.
    Cheers
    JohnR

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