Hedwig
Nov, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on a sunny, hot day at the zoo in Akron, Ohio.Time
Since it was a hot day, I arrived at the zoo in the early afternoon. I found this beautiful snowy owl mid-afternoon.Lighting
Natural light was perfect at this time of day. Since it was late in the year, the light was slanting and giving nice accent to the texture of the feathers. The contrasting darkness of the weathered wood gave a simple background to compliment the bird without distracting from it.Equipment
I used a Pentax K-3 with a Sigma 70-300mm lens. No other equipment was necessary.Inspiration
I think this photo shows the character of the owl. It's very aware of its surroundings - and me - while remaining still. The patience of the predator comes through.Editing
I always try to limit my post-processing to the most simple adjustments. I brought out a little more black and added a bit of contrast to accent the texture of the feathers.In my camera bag
I usually carry both the Pentax K-3 and a Pentax K-7 in my bag. One will have the 70-300mm lens; the other will have an 18-55mm or similar lens. This keeps me from having to switch lenses often. Lens cleaning wipes, spare batteries, perhaps a spare lens are included. I also carry a 2x tele-converter in case I find wildlife that I really need to zoom in on.Feedback
With good shooting conditions, as I had, it's a matter of patience and shooting extra frames. The biggest challenge was a fence between myself and the owl. That simply disappeared with a precise focus and fairly small depth of field.
