Devotion
Momma burrowing owl bringing food to her 8 babies
Momma burrowing owl bringing food to her 8 babies
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Jun, 2016Views
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Awards
Featured
Contest Finalist in Celebrating Nature Photography Day Photo Contest 2016
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Genius
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derfberg
July 10, 2016
Awesome shot! Curious what lenses you're using to capture these shots? Headed to Salton Sea in a couple of weeks - may need to rent a lens or two!
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mariaserrano
July 10, 2016
Thank you Derfberg! I use a Nikon 500mm f.4 on a tripod with a gimbal head (too heavy for me to handhold). Good luck at Salton Sea. Wear bug spray and take plenty of water!
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in Salton Sea, CA.Time
It was around 7:30 am when I took this photo.Lighting
The light was pretty soft and direct since it was only two hours after sunrise.Equipment
I used a Nikon D810 with a Nikon 500mm f.4 mounted on a Wimberley gimbal head supported by a Gitzo tripod.Inspiration
I was observing and photographing a family of burrowing owls, two parents and eight owlets. The parents flew back and forth throughout the morning feeding the owlets as they experimented trying to catch bugs on their own. I tried many times to catch a flying parent with a meal and I wasn't going to leave without achieving that shot.Editing
The light was great and the background was clean so the post processing for this image was minimal. I did some basic color, shadows, and exposure adjustments as well as some sharpening as needed with raw images.In my camera bag
My Nikon D810 with my telephoto, Nikon 500mm f.4, and a Wimberley gimbal head supported by a Gitzo tripod are always with me on my photoshoots as I mainly shoot wildlife. I am looking into a Nikon D500 for more FPS and faster focus as the D810, as wonderful as it is, was not really meant for fast moving objects. The D810 will continue to be with me for macro, portraits, and landscapes, that's for sure. I also take with me a Nikon 40mm macro lens, a Nikon 14-24 2.8, and a Nikon TC-14E III 1.4x. Also, I always carry 3 charged batteries and extra memory cards!Feedback
I arrived at the location at 5:15am, right before sunrise. This provided with beautiful light and active owls who were feeding and playing for a few consecutive hours. The time of day you choose to photograph animals is key to observing behaviors and getting magical light on your subjects. Yes, it may mean you wake up at 2:00am to then drive 2 1/2 hours to the location, but the rewards are great!
