Owls
- This topic has 12 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated Oct 10, 2008 at 6:06 am by
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OK, I went looking for the previous bird threads and wanted to add it there, but couldn’t find them. I remember when I first log on to this board, topics would be on the front page or two for a while… nothing bad, really good that we are getting the info…
Firstly, I take my hat off to you bird photo guys… I tried for 2 days trying to get a decent photo of the pair of birds that have taken to my garden.
Secondly, HELP me get a better shot, I can get on the roof if needed, but I just couldn’t get the light…
Third, I am getting an Owl nesting box this week.
Lastly, they are Spotted Eagle Owls, quite common in Southern Africa, but traditional customs and beliefs are that they are bad luck, and are often killed, just for being unlucky, thus the population is not what it should be.
Female
Male
I don’t think you’re going to get much effect from the diffusion at those distances. You’d still have a small source of light relative to the subject. I agree though that adding flash would be interesting, just make sure you’re flash is placed where you won’t have harsh shadows hitting the bird.
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http://instagram.com/chad_simcox InstagramMike Owls are tough.
Theres ony a couple Diurnal species (active by day) and the rest when you find them tend to bury themselves deep within a trees boughs. So not only is getting a good look at them difficult, getting them in natural light is even harder.I didn’t really go after them last winter, choosing instead to concentrate on Coyotes but hope to add to my collection this winter.
Great Horned
Northern Saw Whet.
These guys are only about 6 inches tall.Reminds me of the kid toys “furbies” or whatever they are called
Long Eared
Barred Owl
Note how they are all tight to the trunk. It helps camoflage them, but makes getting clear looks through branches and around trunks difficult. Shooting in winter helps a bit.
Few things to help a bit.
Look for white wash on the trunks and thicker branches and pellets on the ground. On you start recognising those, you’ll find the Owls easier, their patterning really blends in to the trunks.Try as much as your able, to reduce your vertical plane. Any shot beats no shot but its generally better to back off and reduce the angle accepting less frame filling than to walk up trying to fill the frame but end up shooting up their butt.
Flash.
Unless you use a Better Beamer your flash won’t reach them 9 times out of ten due to the distance to the subject. If you do flash them get the flash off your body by using a flash bracket. Otherwise you will almost always end up with “red eye”. Getting the flash off body changes the plane a bit and thus removes red eye. With Owls its really prevalent.Nesting.
Eagle Owls if they are anything like Great Horned Owls are dangerous once they’ve bred. More than one photographer has had parts of their scalps torn off by Great Horned Owls for getting to close…”close” is not all that close with them. My advice, once you see chicks be very carefull about approaching…serioulsy. Greta Horneds are notorious for it and you could easily lose half your face.Lastly.
This is a matter of personal choice. I wont discuss whether I’m For/Against/Indifferent..If you really want some good Owl shots and its just not happening for you. You can bait them with mice bought at any pet store that sells feeder mice for pet snakes and stuff. Most jaw dropping shots of Owls you’ll see are managed by baiting them. This will depend alot on whether its a Nocturnal or Diurnal species but can be done in the last light of day as they start to get active.
Thanks guys, I haven’t seen them since the weekend, but I will be out looking for them…
Got the ladder set up to the roof and waiting…John, all yours are shot at full 400mm zoom, I can only go to 200mm, it must be quite a process getting the tripod in the exact position for the shot???
Olympus are great value for what you get… I bought my e500 on special, but I wish I had the e520… but I got the u 770 waterproof for my on stream pics… just toss it around.
Lastly, do you guys all have woods behind your houses???
Hi Mike.
yeah all those shots would be at 400mm. I dont use a tripod with my 400mm. Im either hand holding, using my bushhawk and once in a Blue moon I bring my monopod along if I know without any shadow of a doubt the available light is going to be really dim and SSs are likekly to be under 1/200th.If you going upto your roof (good in that it levels the perspective) rather than lugging a tripod up with you, just bring a bean bag or nice plushy pillow.
For that matter you could partially fill a small sack with dirt and leave it up there. Wear old clothes so you can lie down, position the camera on the bag and fire away.
J
The new E520 is nice, but I’ve seen many good photos from the E500. A very capable camera. Good luck with your owls.
Ja, they offer the best bang for your Buck, and now with the stabilized body, they are some serious tools. I also one of the lighter DSLR’s… just wish they could sort out their picture managment software.
… just wish they could sort out their picture managment software.
I don’t know if you are using Olympus Studio or Master.
… just wish they could sort out their picture managment software.
I don’t know if you are using Olympus Studio or Master. Most people, it seems, complain about them.
If you are using jpeg files, then all kinds of programs use them. If you are using the ORF raw files, there are options. Silkypix and Raw Therapee will open them and both are free to download.
If you want to use the ORF files in Photoshop, then down load the free Adobe DNG Converter. It will make a copy of the ORF in DNG format which will open in PS.
And you are right. I have the E510 and find the in-body IS system great. I can use it with my old Zuiko OM lenses. All you have to do is upgrade the firmware. When you put on an old lens (any brand with appropriate adapter) on the camera, go into the IS menu and set it for the lens’ focal length.
I seem to have a problem getting the cameras to connect to my lap top, when they do, everythin works great, but i normaly have to reboot the whole bloody thing 5 times to get it to work… and then I can’t get into the remote drive. I just upgraded to their latest release, and it seemed better, but I have only uploaded once sinse then…
I got PS2 on my wifes lap top, soon to PS3, and I love working with the RAW on that, but the Master version also works well.
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