Posted by Mitch Erwin on January 17, 2009 at 12:39 AM
I had the opportunity to watch this short eared owl while it was hunting for awhile when driving home the other evening. The clouds had become overcast, ruining what would have been some good evening light. This gave me an opportunity to practice my tracking skills hand held with my 500mm. Wish he / she had gotten just a tad bit closer! But the experience of seeing this animal hunt and fly for about 1 hour was well worth it!
Canon 1ds Mark III
500mm f4 IS handheld
ISO 800, 1/640, f4
Sounds like a great experience! Like you, I wish he was just a tad bit closer, but a great shot nonetheless, especially without a tripod. Looks almost as if he's/she's looking at you like "Are you dinner?" Nice shot!
Yes, great shot for conditions and thanks for posting it. It is always great to catch something we weren't expecting. Sounds like you had a wonderful hour, sure it went way too quickly. I am glad the shot still shows decent color and detail.
Posted by Kent Johnson on January 17, 2009 at 11:34 PM
Audubon might not want it for a bird guide but I think it is GREAT just the way it is. The uneven wings makes it feel like a gust of wind just hit him. The eyes are incredible. The eyes and the empty sky make me feel like he is hungry and hunting. I'm glad I'm not a field mouse.
Posted by Toni Lankerd on January 19, 2009 at 10:21 AM
I agree with Kent....the open space works very well, giving the Owl plenty of room to fly through the image.
Posted by Brian Vance on January 23, 2009 at 8:14 PM
Great catch! I wish I was there to see this beautiful bird in action too. I also agree about the framing, it looks like a lonely winter hunt out in the cold - well done. The tones seem to be in the middle range and I'm wondering if you might be able to squeeze a little more contrast to make the owl pop a bit more.
Discussion
6 repliesCanon 1ds Mark III
500mm f4 IS handheld
ISO 800, 1/640, f4
Cropped and USM in CS3