re-worked oldie -
Lake Topo area, Florida
D300s
500mm
Subject dist: 34m
1/500 sec, f/6.3
Mode: Manual
Metering: Multi-segment
Exp comp: +1/3
ISO: 800
White balance: Auto
Flash: Off
My favorite subject! I love the environment. I can never get enough Spanish moss! The bird looks good and sharp. But the image is a little underexposed, and in a perfect world, I’d prefer the that the perch didn’t run up the side of the bird. Instead, it’d be better if the bird were more fully in front of the limb it’s perched on. Small nits for an otherwise very nice image.
Wonderful shot of this Barred Owl, Sandy. I love the environment as well. For me, the exposure is okay except for his face and eyes, little more light would be good. Might even brighten the owl all over. The background looks fine to me. I have yet to get a shot opportunity of an owl, of any kind.
In my experience, it’s rare to just “happen” upon an owl, waiting for you.
Learn about owl habitats. Call your nearby parks and reserves and ask about any owl sightings. Talk with people out taking bird pictures, especially those with big lenses! Keep in close touch with your local e-bird groups. Check with the “Wild Bird Unlimited” and similar shops.
And consider going on a Raptor photo workshop - Ray Barlow, a former NPN meber, has several, along with others like Jim Neiger in Florida.
And keep the faith!
One of my funny stories re Australia - we went out with a Bird guy to a local park, where there were 2 known pairs of different owls hanging out and seen almost daily in the same area. We all searched for 2 hours, and were about to give up.
I walked over to a dumpster to throw out our snack wrappings and water bottles. The maintenance guy there cleaning up said, when he saw our big lenses, “Have you seen the owls?” I said we’d been looking for hours but did not find them.
He laughed and pointed straight up in a big overhead eucalyptus tree. There they were, the male and female, posing perfectly. Reminds me, I don’t think I ever posted that image - coming soon…
Sandy
I love barred owls. It’s so nice when you find one in the open. It’s a very beautiful shot with nothing in front of the bird and the nice Spanish moss. I would agree with the others about brightening it up a bit but I really do like it.
Thank you, Sandy. You are right, one needs to learn more about the subject, and, get out where they are at. I enjoyed your funny story. Good thing you were disposing of your trash properly, and that the maintenance guy just happened to be there.
Nice work, Sandy. I like the dim light effect that suits the habitat, however to my eye, the owl itself looks like it could be a bit brighter. The setting is wonderful and I particularly like the cluster of leaves in the upper right.
Nice take, Sandy. The posture suggests this guy was surprised. This is a good example of the typical Barred owl habitat, and fortunate you were able get a good clean view in such surroundings. I like the pose and subtle bit of catch light.