Hi
I had a fantastic session with the Barn Owls at Welney again yesterday, in some respects this is picking up on issues raised in other threads, the whole art of bird photography is much more dependent on you being as inconspicuous as possible so that the birds come close to you, this is so much more effective than you trying to get close to the bird, they are naturally wary but if you are not perceived as a threat to them, then they will carry on with their habits unaware of your presence.
This shot was taken with a 100-400mm IS lens on my D60, the bird hovered for possibly 15 to 20 seconds about 12-15 feet away allowing me to get about 25 images, all are quite stunning and I will post a page of them on my web site later, 1/250th-1/320th at f9.5 set on AV, underexposed by 1/2 stop and then brightened in photoshop, why? this means that the highlights do not burn out so I retain detail which would be lost if overexposed.
Nigel
Hi nigel, showed that picture to my daughter and grandson, thats nice from daughter, and the little one stared at that owl,finger in mouth, sure sign he loves it, my reaction, WOWWOWWOW!!! what a fantastic picture, just as I remember them,from my childhood, Have you seen them just as dawn is breaking surrounded by shrieking blackbirds, Jays and thrushes, the noise is deafening, and the look on the owls face as if asking me to shut them up. I felt so sorry for poor barn owl!
Nigel. That is the best way to answer those sceptics who think that photographers just go for the birds instead of wait, inconspicuously, for the birds.
Brilliant photo as usual. Did you get a chance to photograph the Dark Breasted Barn Owl whilst you were there? (Did you even get to see it?)