"Forrest"
Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl
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May, 2017Views
591
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Awards
Winner in Animal Eyes Photo Challenge
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Ultimate
kurtsnyder
August 28, 2021
Interesting capture - I think I can see yru reflection in the owl's eye! Kurt
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the California Raptor Center in Davis, CA. Twice a year they hold an open house and bring their raptor Ambassadors out for the public to see. These birds are ones that can no longer survive in the wild for various reasons (often times due to life altering injuries) so they end up living here and help educate people. It's a wonderful way to spend the morning and a great way to practice photographing wildlife. I really feel it's helped me with the wildlife photography out in the wild..Time
This was taken on a Saturday morning.Lighting
This was taken using all natural lighting as flashes are not allowed around the animals. This particular owl was in the shade so lighting was on the low with no harsh shadows.Equipment
To capture this moment I used my Canon 5D mark ii and my Canon EF70-200 f2.8L USM lens with the focal length at 200mm. Flashes are not allowed and I didn't bring a tripod as I like to keep things light when I go to these events so as not to interfere with others trying to capture photos or get up close to the animals.Inspiration
Inspiration for this photo and others like it comes from a love I have for the raptors and wanting to capture their images and personalities. I feel they are truly magnificent creatures and being able to get close to them and capture images like this is amazing and I want to share that experience with others.Editing
Due to the low light I ended up increasing the exposure a little bit to keep my settings where I wanted them for shooting hand held and increasing the whites and clarity a touch to bring out more detail. I decreased the vibrancy a little to soften the colors for the feel I was wanting on this one. I also cropped it down so the photo would be all about the owl's face.In my camera bag
In my everyday bag I carry a Canon 7D mark ii and a sigma 18-300 lens. This goes with me on my daily commute so my chances of missing that special shot is minimized. I keep it minimal for the grab and go mode. For my serious photo trips my bigger bag will have my Canon 5D mark ii and/or the 7D mark ii depending on what my primary photography goal for the. moment is. It also nearly always has the Canon 24-105 and the Canon 100-400 mii. My Canon 180mm macro can often be found in the bag as well. These 3 lenses are my main lenses though occasionally one may get swapped out for another. There's generally a flash for those just in case moments. Extra batteries and memory cards are a MUST and quite often snacks and water. Being hungry and/or dehydrated is not good for me or the photo results, especially when the majority of your photography is hand held.Feedback
I think my best advise is to never stop learning and don't be afraid to experiment. Sometimes those shots you think are going to be terrible can end up being your favorites. Also, look for opportunities where you can practice like I do with the Raptor Center. The somewhat controlled environment gives you time to practice and play with settings without worrying about if your subject is going to fly away any moment. As you learn the settings that you like best and get use to being around the animals (or other subject) then you'll be able to acquire your shot quicker when out in the wild and there is no control of the subject.
