Want to Be My Lunch?

Early Morning Image:

My wife has been hearing a Great Horned Owl around the area for a couple of weeks. Wednesday morning when she got up and opened the bedroom curtain she spotted it in the top of a birch tree in our front yard, she called to me and I ran out to try getting some shots. After awhile it flew to the top of a nearby fir (the second shot in the post). This was all before the sun got up. Last night, she spotted it again at the back of the property. I was able to get some shots there with late evening light full on it. After sunset, it actually came and perched on a mounting post for one of our Bluebird/Swallow boxes within 20 feet of the front porch! It’s a most accommodating owl.

Specific Feedback Requested

Anything.

Technical Details

Sony A1, FE 200-600 + 1.4 TC, both shots at 840 mm hand held. The main post was at f/9, 1/100, iso 1000. I was actually shooting from beside my fixed blind, so I could use it for support and actually get some pretty decent image quality at 1/100. Processed in LR & PS CC. Cropped to 3538x4423. Taken yesterday at 8:38 PM.

1 Like

My first thought on seeing the first image was “Wow” . Really like the setting, color, and detail. How fortunate to get an image like this and in your yard. The high key, minimalistic aspect of the second shot has its appeal as well, but I do prefer the first one. Maybe a tighter crop to eliminate some of the negative space.

Wow!! What an opportunity – your own personal owl – go buy some mice!! The sharpness and detail on the first are wonderful and the second competes with Audubon! I don’t remember ever seeing anything remotely like this.

I also like the first image more with the delicate pine needles in contrast to the owl and the saturation of colors in the image as a whole. On the high key image you might try converting to monochrome and see what happens.

Wow! That owl in full light is really something. Love the setting with the pine needles and that head on look. Great details and exposure. Terrific.