In the Dark
An owl.
An owl.
Read less
Read less
Nov, 2015Views
2607
Likes
Awards
Action Award
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Winner in Owls Photo Challenge
Featured
Contest Finalist in Understanding Light Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Genius
Emotions
Impressed
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in the Osnabrück Zoo in Osnabrück, Germany.Time
Just before midday.Lighting
I love shooting in natural sunlight. It gives such a stunning contrast. In this case it was October, and the autumn's warm, bright sunlight brought it all to life.Equipment
Taken with a Canon EOS70D and a Canon EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS. No tripod or flash, just my knees and the sun.Inspiration
I was visiting the zoo and wandered into an aviary by chance, where you could be amongst these gorgeous owls without barriers or screens. There were two very active ones who seemed to love the attention. They sat not 50cm from where I was crouched. Every few minutes the other would start hooting and flapping its wings for attention, it was wonderful! Then the sun showed up, which made it perfect.Editing
The original was shot in colour, so after converting it to black&white in Lightroom I upped the contrast a bit and increased the sharpness to bring out the details a little bit more.In my camera bag
By default there's my Canon70D with a Canon EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS attached for quick grabbing. (Love the big range on it!) I also never go anywhere without my all-time favourite lens, the Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM. Depending on what I'm shooting I also bring a Canon EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM and a 10-24mm Tamron. Oh, and I've got a UV filter for each(Mostly to protect the lens in sandy/windy conditions), 6 SDcards ranging from 16GB to 128GB, two spare batteries and a lens cloth.Feedback
Apart from the usual cliche's (check the weather, be patient, etc) the best advice I can give is 'Set your camera to bulk mode.' Animals are unpredictable, and every minute movement matters. Better to take several shots in a row than to miss that one moment where it looked in the camera. If you want this deep contrast between light and dark, don't use a flash or reflector. Make sure you pick a time when the sunlight is strong and sharp, preferably around noon. (As a bonus, that's when everyone else is having lunch. Less people around to agitate the animals(and the photographer!))
