DSC_6698
Sep, 2018Views
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Awards
Zenith Award
Community Choice Award
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Absolute Masterpiece
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in a wooded area behind a military base in Anchorage, Alaska.Time
I remember the exact date I took this..It was August 18th, 2018. I was driving in my car on a quiet, backroad when I spotted something perched on post on the side of a light fixture..It had just stopped raining. I had to look twice before I realized what I was seeing. A great gray owl, starring at me. I turned the car around and took many photos from my car window and was actually able to get out of the car and get very close. The owl did not seem fazed by my presence ..and I snapped until he/she flew off into the woods..it was one of my best photography experiences ever.Lighting
It was late afternoon in Alaska in August ..which means there is usually a lot of light left in the day with the sun setting around 9:30 p.m at that time of year. It wasn't particularly bright because it had just stopped raining. The air was filled with of moisture and a little fog..which I feel helped to enhance the beauty of the Great Gray owl, particularly the feathers and eyes.Equipment
I used a Nikon D7100 with a sigma 200 to 600 telephoto lens..no tripod..I used my rolled down car window for stability.Inspiration
I like to drive around a certain area on the backside of a military base in Alaska. I had seen this great gray owl six months earlier in the same area and had a feeling that I might see again. The few owls I've seen or been able to photograph in my life have been spotted on overcast or rainy days. I knew this area would not have a lot of traffic on a weekend. I was thrilled to come upon the owl right by the side of the road resting on the light post and was able to take many photos before he/she flew off into the woods.Editing
I did not do much post-processing with this photo..just some tweaking to bring out the colors of the eyes and feathers.In my camera bag
I take my sigma 200 - 600 telephoto lens to get the great close up shots of wildlife. I also take a wide angle lens, 50 mm to 200 mm nikon lens, and a 50 to 400 mm nikon lens. I am lucky that I am able to drive in my car and take a lot of my photos from the car, so I tend to keep the lenses together and available to use depending upon what I see. I'm so excited in the Spring after a long winter with not much light to take photos that I photograph just about everything, flowers, trees, grass, panoramic views and wildlife.Feedback
The best time to see wildlife is dawn and dusk..you have to put in a lot of hours and time outdoors to develop a keen eye for spotting birds, wildlife etc...I've learned that wildlife tend to like to stay in the same areas. Black bears love dandelions and will lay down in a field of dandelions by the side of the road to eat and are not fazed by people photographing them. Birds like to roost on certain branches on specific trees ..It helps to be calm and quiet and to put the time in to get the great photos. Patience pays off.
