This Barred Owl had just hunted its prey moments before this shot.

Canon 7D with the 500L f4 lens handheld @ 1/640, f/6.3, ISO 400, +1/3 exposure compensation.

The choise of lens is always a problem with these sort of birds. The 500 f4 is superb for those close-ups or inaccesible shots penetrating those annoying branches. Also, by moving back, you get a better hight perspective if the bird is perched too high. And not to be neglected is the luminiosity of the lens when the bird is hidden from light or at the close of the day when there is minimal light present.

But, at times I use my old trusty 400L f5.6 when I'm anticipating a flight shot - so that I don't clip those wings.


I had my camera mounted on a monopod shooting some portraits when the bird took off, captured its prey and perched on a branch. I quickly unclamped my camera from the monopod and headed for the bird - a hard task for me with my wobbbly knees. That explains the lower shutter speed which I didn't have time to adjust in the excitement.

Cropped in for a more dramatic effect. The eye to the right lightened-up to remove it from the shadow and to expose the refelction of the trees. Bottom half of owl and tail of the shrew burnt in a bit to darken. A bit of blur applied to the sky at top left after sharpening to remove noise.

Cheers,

Mike