David_Eppley
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Cuteness overload
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Winner in The Beauty of Owls Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
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Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
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modelmeemaw
April 02, 2017
These little guys are so adorable. Certainly on my bucket list to shoot. Love the "behind the lens"
Martha
Martha
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
While most people in South West Florida travel to Cape Coral to photograph the Burrowing Owls, this photo was taken of a juvenile that was born in a burrow under a large rock in Punta Gorda, Fl.Time
In this location, the owls could be photographed in the morning or evening in nice light. This photograph happened to be in the evening just as the sun was setting. If you look closely, you can see the setting sun in its eyes.Lighting
I prefer never to use a flash and always rely on the beauty of natural light.Equipment
Shot with the 7D and Canon 600 f/4 IS. It's a tough lens to hand-hold, but I had no other option. Laying flat on the ground, resting the tripod foot of the 600 on my hand.Inspiration
Wildlife is its own inspiration. If you can look into the eyes of a wild animal and not feel inspired, you should probably move on to another type of photography or just sell your gear.Editing
Shooting RAW leaves a lot of room to improve photos. I always do a little sharpening and, depending on the settings, some noise reduction. and color enhancement. I want my photos to be as natural as possible while still having that little bit of POP to catch the eye.In my camera bag
I typically carry 2 camera bodies. My 1Dx is for wildlife, along with the Canon 800mm. I also carry a 6d which I use for most landscape or storm photography. I have a variety of lenses ranging from 14mm to 800mm. Covering just about all of the range in between with several zoom lenses like the 24-70, 70-200, 100-400.Feedback
Wildlife photography can be a tricky thing. It's always best to stay far enough away from your subject that you are not influencing them in any way. I've found it best to spend time studying their habits and behavior before choosing a position to shoot from. Once you learn their patterns, you can get into position before they become active, then they will come to you. While everyone loves that shot of a wild animal staring straight down the lens, that usually is a sign that you're doing something wrong. Arrive early and relax and wait.