Got to make the most of any decent weather in the evening while the Owls are still active around their territory, I must admit I found this shot difficult to achieve especially while sat in I portable hide ,also my tripod head decided to break on me ,so this shot was handheld, the bird would land on a choice of four posts all aprox 6ft apart and it was a matter of counting down the length of time it took him to get close to me ,its a method I used when the bird comes in for food from the opposite side of the quarry, always takes him exactly seven seconds be it a windy or calm day ,I am not a professional photographer just a amateur and even though I have been watching the birds for a lot of years I am still learning on the photography side any tips would be gratefully appreciated in getting better results from this type of shot armed with just two lenses ,the 400mm 5.6 and the 300mm f4....Canon 1dmkiv 300mm f4 at 5.6 iso 800 1/1600 sec
Well, to me this looks like a perfect takeoff shot...studying the behaviour and patience is all one can ask for and it sounds like you are doing both of those. I think your settings are fine for the shot. The shot is great with perfect focus on the head and some nice wing blur to give the sense of the motion as the owl launches towards you. Love the background and the only slightly distracting element in the image is the shadow on the perch, maybe just pushing the shadows up to lighten the darkness would make it less distracting. Otherwise very nice image that I would love to have in my portfolio.
Another good one Den. Interesting about the post(perch) I would consider taking it out altogether !!
Good stuff Youv,e certainly got these birds sorted out!
John
An excellent capture here in superb light. I'd simply brighten the shadow on the post within limits as to what makes still look realistic. A complete clone out would possibly make me question why the bird's feet are still visible...?
Hi Dennis, great eye contact, and what a good head on capture you managed here. I like your choice of going pano, and sharp where it counts. Lovely colours to the BG.
When choosing lenses, I believe you use the lens to suit best what you intend going out to capture, and how close or far your subjects will be.
Little owl
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