Posted by Vincent Jones on January 5, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Here is another flight shot taken with a macro lens. This was taken over the weekend during a daily Owl training session.
Working with these birds does give me the practice I need for when I find the time to visit some of the projects sites during the breeding season. Not with a macro lens trying to capture flight though
Thanks for looking
Nikon D2X
Nikon 105mm VR Macro
ISO 200
F2.8
1/4000th sec
Taken handheld
(c) in title for captive bred
If members are getting a bit fed up with the (c) shots I am posting, please let me know via a polite PM.
Superb lighting on this one Vince. Personally I have absolutely no problem with you posting these images. You state clearly they are captive and you are directly involved with rescue / rehabilitation work etc for the benefit of the owls so why could anyone possibly complain.
All the best
Robert
Posted by Brett Lewis on January 5, 2009 at 3:00 PM
Hi Vince,
Really nice work, yet again..
I have no problem with you taking and sharing these shots with us all. The quality is really good and as Robert stated you always tell us it's captive when it is so carry on.. As for this image, superb detail and lighting. You captured all very well.
nicely captured and lovely lighting. I can see what looks like noise in the background, perhaps from sharpening?
I agree with the comments above, re. captive birds. If they're a result of rescue or rehabilitation work then fine, as long as the image is labelled as captive I see no problem. I'm less keen on the idea of birds being intentionally bred in captivity (I'm not sure whether any of yours are), but that may be just me
Matt
Posted by Vincent Jones on January 5, 2009 at 3:58 PM
Hi Matt, thanks for the comments regarding the image & the noise factor. Yes there was a bit of noise, I wish I lowered the ISO to 100.
With regards to (c) that’s why I said PM me if anyone had a problem with it.
Here is a bit of history to the Owl in this image. Captive keeping is not all that bad if the bird gets something from it too.
With regards to breeding birds here, No we don't & we will never let them breed.
This Barn Owl you see flying here in all her glory was accidentally bred in captivity, this was in a back garden aviary at the rear of a house in Cheltenham. The keeper made the worse mistake by putting in the aviary that housed a pair of (c) Barn Owls an Owl Nest Box. Reason he did this was because he thought he was providing his Owls extra shelter & a place so they can hide if they wanted too.
This caused a problem plus it created this adorable Barn Owl you see flying in this photo. Not the Owls fault & I am glad there was only one to re-home.
The nest box that was placed in the aviary through lack of education gave his Barn Owls a place to breed & lay eggs, this was without the keeper knowing what was going to happen, luckily only one egg hatched & here she is at 4 years old. At 5 days old she was handed to us an unwanted captive bred Barn Owl, the person couldn't keep her because all he wanted was his original pair & no more.
What was learnt in the end was the keeper will never put a nest box in the aviary again. He as also learnt that Nest Boxes should be put up in the countryside for wild Owls & not placed in aviaries for captive bred Owls.
I wish Zoos & Bird of Prey Centres where the bulk of people visit took an approach to educate their visitors & people more on the problems where captive breeding is concerned.
This image is my kind of field work if that makes any sense, I do try to provide the birds I work with & photograph, a sense of what the wild environment is like & about, that’s all I can do really as my hands are very tied with a lot of red tape & the birds safety with us due to its origin.
interesting stuff Vincent, thanks for the info. It sounds like you're doing a very good job at the Barn Owl Centre, and there's no doubting the beauty of the birds.
Matt
Posted by Vincent Jones on January 5, 2009 at 4:29 PM
It's the birds that do it for me Matt; it's not about me at all. To have the pleasure to become part of their lives in captivity is their choice at the end of the day, if they didn’t like what we did they would simply fly away, this relationship we have build here is simply built on trust & food.
This is why I enjoy working with them & photographing them whilst they are out strutting their stuff, if they were non flying ornaments then that would be a different story.
Discussion
10 repliesWorking with these birds does give me the practice I need for when I find the time to visit some of the projects sites during the breeding season. Not with a macro lens trying to capture flight though
Thanks for looking
Nikon D2X
Nikon 105mm VR Macro
ISO 200
F2.8
1/4000th sec
Taken handheld
(c) in title for captive bred
If members are getting a bit fed up with the (c) shots I am posting, please let me know via a polite PM.
Steve
As Steve says, the light was definitely in your favour, Lovely image with excellent detail in the plumage.
Fran
All the best
Robert
Really nice work, yet again..
I have no problem with you taking and sharing these shots with us all. The quality is really good and as Robert stated you always tell us it's captive when it is so carry on.. As for this image, superb detail and lighting. You captured all very well.
Kind regards,
Brett
I agree with the comments above, re. captive birds. If they're a result of rescue or rehabilitation work then fine, as long as the image is labelled as captive I see no problem. I'm less keen on the idea of birds being intentionally bred in captivity (I'm not sure whether any of yours are), but that may be just me
Matt
With regards to (c) that’s why I said PM me if anyone had a problem with it.
Here is a bit of history to the Owl in this image. Captive keeping is not all that bad if the bird gets something from it too.
With regards to breeding birds here, No we don't & we will never let them breed.
This Barn Owl you see flying here in all her glory was accidentally bred in captivity, this was in a back garden aviary at the rear of a house in Cheltenham. The keeper made the worse mistake by putting in the aviary that housed a pair of (c) Barn Owls an Owl Nest Box. Reason he did this was because he thought he was providing his Owls extra shelter & a place so they can hide if they wanted too.
This caused a problem plus it created this adorable Barn Owl you see flying in this photo. Not the Owls fault & I am glad there was only one to re-home.
The nest box that was placed in the aviary through lack of education gave his Barn Owls a place to breed & lay eggs, this was without the keeper knowing what was going to happen, luckily only one egg hatched & here she is at 4 years old. At 5 days old she was handed to us an unwanted captive bred Barn Owl, the person couldn't keep her because all he wanted was his original pair & no more.
What was learnt in the end was the keeper will never put a nest box in the aviary again. He as also learnt that Nest Boxes should be put up in the countryside for wild Owls & not placed in aviaries for captive bred Owls.
I wish Zoos & Bird of Prey Centres where the bulk of people visit took an approach to educate their visitors & people more on the problems where captive breeding is concerned.
This image is my kind of field work if that makes any sense, I do try to provide the birds I work with & photograph, a sense of what the wild environment is like & about, that’s all I can do really as my hands are very tied with a lot of red tape & the birds safety with us due to its origin.
I hope the above makes some kind of sense.
I feel better now, thank you
Matt
This is why I enjoy working with them & photographing them whilst they are out strutting their stuff, if they were non flying ornaments then that would be a different story.
Thanks for the reply
Not looking for praise, give it to the birds