KNOT IN THE WOOD
Pearl spotted owlet.
Pearl spotted owlet.
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Aperture 63/10 ISO 3200 Focal Length 400/1 
Nov, 2018Views
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Awards
Top Shot Award
Contest Finalist in Social Exposure Photo Contest Vol 18
Peer Award
Magnificent Capture
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
All Star
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
Emotions
Impressed
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Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
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Top 10 rank
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Behind The Lens
Location
This shot was taken at an active nesting site in an old fallen tree at a waterhole in the Kalahari desert.Time
After more than ten hours of waiting spread over three days, the owlet finally put in an appearance at about middayLighting
The nesting hole was on the underside of a fallen trunk and thus was always in shade... however, as the sun moved overhead across the sky, the luminance values in the reflected light kept changing needed to be continuously checked to keep mid tones open.Equipment
Nikon D3 with 200~400mm f4G ED VRII off a badger beanbag from a car window.Inspiration
To find an occupied Pearl Spotted owlet nest so accessible and close to a camera position was a once in a lifetime opportunity which no photographer could let slip by. So over a three day period I kept returning the the fallen log at the waterhole, knowing that if i was patient, eventually the opportunity would come. After a stakeout that ultimately lasted over ten hours... the opportunity presented itself and the camera was ready.Editing
i made 5 exposure masks across a 5 stop range and combined the mid tone exposure from each mask into a single image.In my camera bag
A pair of Nikon d3's and a range of lenses, including 24mm, 55mm and 500mm primes, as well as the aspirational trilogy of 14~24mm, 80~200mm and 200~400mm Nikon zooms. because much of my work is on road trips to remote locations, and into the bush, I make sure to carry plenty of spare batteries and a tool kit containing everything from cellophane to ductape, to dog clips and cable ties.Feedback
Patience and determination together with some environmental literacy are helpful in pursuing natural history images out in the field. An equal familiarity with photographic equipment and the behaviors of the subject matter improves my chances of capturing those ephemeral moments when opportunity and preparedness intersect.
