Great Horned Owl Headshot
If you look real closely into the owl's pupil, you can see the reflection of a group of goofy photographers standing around staring into their cameras, lik...
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If you look real closely into the owl's pupil, you can see the reflection of a group of goofy photographers standing around staring into their cameras, likely including myself.
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May, 2017Views
1290
Likes
Awards
Contest Finalist in Anything Birds Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 38
Peer Award
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
All Star
Genius
Virtuoso
Top Ranks
Top 10 rank
Top 10 rank
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This portrait of a Great Horned Owl was taken at a private ranch in Frankville, Colorado. It was a gorgeous, sunny day with the opportunity to capture photos of several gorgeous birds of prey.Time
This was one of my last photos I took of the day and ended up being one of my favorites. It was nearly noon on a bright, cloudless day just days after a heavy snowstorm hit the area. The handler had the owl in the shadow of a beautiful historic red barn, creating a nice, warm background to capture this photo against.Lighting
The bird was positioned in the shade of a historic red barn, creating a nice background to capture this portrait. The day was bright and sunny, so the positioning in the shade was key for getting this shot. I didn't use any flash or reflector in this photo, just adjusted my exposure to take advantage of the natural light.Equipment
This photo was shot with a Nikon D750, Nikkor 200-500 f/5.6. I used a tripod to hold this big lens for an ultra-sharp, close-up shot. I stood a fair distance away from the subject and zoomed way in to create the nice shallow depth of field.Inspiration
Capturing this photo and many of the others I took on this day was a dream come true for me. I grew up with aspirations of becoming a wildlife photographer and although my life went in a very different direction, I always held onto the dream of someday photographing wildlife. Over the last year, I was fortunate to be in a position to afford the purchase of some great gear and to take some classes and seminars to develop my photography skills. It was through one of these seminars that I had the opportunity to photograph several raptors and got this shot. I was so thrilled with the experience and with the photos that I captured that day.Editing
I post-processed the photo in Adobe LightRoom by correcting the white-balance, bringing up the exposure and clarity a bit, and doing a tighter crop than the original photo.In my camera bag
I have a Nikon D750 and several different Nikkor and Tamron lenses which I select based on what I plan to shoot on the outing.Feedback
Keep getting out there and practicing. Experiment. Take photos at different angles using different exposures. Learn how to use your camera in manual. Look at the work of other photographers. Absorb the knowledge others share about their experience and knowledge of photography. That's how I've improved my skills from novice to photos I am proud to hang on my wall and share with others within just over a year.
