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Thread: Northern Saw-whet Owl with prey

  1. #1
    Brandon Holden
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    Default Northern Saw-whet Owl with prey


    1D M2n, 600mm... ISO 400, 1/250, F 8... 550EX w/BB... Full Frame


    This was the most "in the open" Saw-whet Owl I had ever seen, with a clear shooting lane into this small spruce tree. However, there was a few problems. By stuffing myself into another tree, I was able to just get inside my 600mm's minimum focusing distance. A bigger problem however was that the bird was completley backlit (1pm and bright sunshine) and the light wouldn't get better. I decided to use my flash as a main light (set very powerfully to over come the strong sun). This would light the bird, with a dark enough background, however small bits of sun passing through the tree were causing totally blown white patches on the bird. I was able to solve this problem too by getting my girlfriend to hold up our gloves high over her head (on the other side of the tree) to shadow the bird from the sun. Now all I had to do was get the bird to look at me instead of her. A bit of squeaking - I grabbed the shots I wanted, and we were on our way!

    I cloned out a few dead branches poking down from the top.

    Happy shooting!:)

    Brandon

  2. #2
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    Sounds familiar -- trying to get a clean shot with a big telephoto on a perched owl... In the end, I still feel the isolation advantages outweigh the difficulties when using a 500 or 600 on perched owl. Great stuff, Brandon -- well thought-out and executed!

    Scott

  3. #3
    Forum Participant Manos Papadomanolakis's Avatar
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    Great details!!!

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    A very well executed and beautiful image. Well done. I'm jealous :)

  5. #5
    Lifetime Member Bill Foxworthy's Avatar
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    Probably as good an owl shot as can be seen. The 600 seemed to do the trick and the flash certainly helped. Excellent details and illumination!

  6. #6
    Hillebrand Breuker
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    Very nice! great oppertunity well executed. you must be verry happy with your girlfriend. Overall image is excellent, but maybe you could choose for a little less contrast

  7. #7
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Quote Originally Posted by Hillebrand Breuker View Post
    Very nice! great oppertunity well executed. you must be verry happy with your girlfriend. Overall image is excellent, but maybe you could choose for a little less contrast
    A wonderful image, nicely framed and well done with the flash. Agree on the contrast reduction, so, a bit of a reverse S-Curve and a touch of SH/H yielded the image below.

    later and love, artie
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