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Jul, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
Beeding Brooks, near Bramber in West SussexTime
Taken in late winter, approximately 1hr prior to sunset... The sun was very rapidly approaching the horizon.Lighting
As the sun was approaching the horizon on a very clear and bright winter afternoon I placed myself in an area of dark shadow next to a clump of hedges, in order to conceal my presence. From this vantage point I watched the Barn Owl illuminated by the afternoon sun hunting across the adjacent field, gradually watching the Owl get closer to my position. The Owl was between myself and the sun, allowing for the translucent effect of the light passing through the feathers. As the owl flew past my position, alongside a gap in the hedging I was viewing from, I was able to get two shots from the camera in rapid continuous shooting mode.Equipment
This was a handheld shot using a Nikon D5300 with a Tamron 70-300mm SP005 lensInspiration
I love spending time outdoors and taking photographs of the wildlife of Sussex that I encounter whilst walking. I currently make a summer and winter list of things I would like to photograph and aim to take these whilst out walking. Owls and other birds of prey tend to feature on these lists because of their majestic flight and natural tendency to avoid people.. It always feels special to see an owl.Editing
No post processing has been applied to this photographIn my camera bag
My walk-around lens of choice is the 70-300mm f5.6 Tamron SP005 lens, as it allows for a versatile framing range, but also can be easily carried upon the camera body for several hours walking. In woodlands my preferred lens is the Sigma 105mm (macro) 2.8 for capturing the subtlety of the light and creating vivid portraits, the Nikon 50mm 1.8 is there for capturing landscapes as well as a small selection of f2.8 42mm lenses including a 28mm lens alongside a Nikon fit adapter. My beast of a lens is the Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 and is outstanding for handheld long range photography, but also produces stunning photographs of smaller subjects at approx 5ft. I have a Manfrotto tripod and gimbal head when wanting to use the heavy 200-500mm in one position, otherwise when walking this stays in the car.Feedback
During the winter months owls can be seen hunting during the day, especially after there has been a period of wet weather which may have prevented them hunting for a couple of days.... Taking advantage of this means that you are able to get great photographs of birds you would otherwise usually only encounter during low light conditions.
