Throttle back...

Gallery: AvianPosted November 28, 2015100 views5 comments

Taken way back in late April, seems such a long time ago, where has this year gone, but this pair were just finding their feet and were from the previous years brood.

Very sterile as an image, but this was just getting them used to both my presence and the camera noise (shutter), plus I too needed to get some handle on getting incoming flight shots, as I needed to start to push both myself and the imagery and this is what I wanted to do this year.

FF top to bottom and having the top wing clipped and the lower wing hidden, to me it's balanced, as I feel it's all about the body angle, talons and eye focus.

Thanks for either viewing or commenting on the previous image guys, I know this isn't up there as the previous one, but it's still fun.

Steve
Subject: Little owl (Athene noctua) coming into land, in meadow on rusty milk churn
Location: UK
Camera: Canon 1DX
Lens: 200-400f/4 HH
Exposure: 1/3200s at f/9 ISO6400
Original format: Landscape, cropped portrait
Processed: LRCC & PS CC2015 - (Some OOF dark lines removed and some light highlights in the greenery)

Note: The subject is fully wild and completely unconstrained. Besides the potential impact of my presence, nothing has been done to intentionally alter or affect the ongoing behavior of the subject and, of course, there has been no use of any form of bait or other form of wildlife attractants (including vocalisations) in the capture of this image.

Comments

5 comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on November 28, 2015 at 9:54 AM

Nice angle on the owl, but I would have liked to see it with the wing tip not missing. Don't mind the milk can perch. Good color and detail in the owl. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments

Comment posted by Mike Ramy on November 28, 2015 at 10:21 AM

Hey Steve,
Great timing on the action, the intense look on the Owl tells the story. The POV is fantastic and I agree that the image is balanced as presented. Really nice detail throughout the composition and amazingly no noise on my monitor at 6400 ISO. The colors look flat to me and could use a small amount of positive vibrancy but that is just a personal preference and others my disagree. The large version is very impressive.
Well done . . . devil

Registered on June 16, 2012, 567 Posts, 2809 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on November 28, 2015 at 11:12 AM

Agree on having the full wing here John, but this was early days and obviously a learning curve for both of us so to speak.

Mike, I have NO hesitation in cranking the ISO to get the capture, see my Polar bear posted in Wildlife at ISO12,800. For me, modern camera bodies are built for pushing and all you need to do is address any noise within PP. sadly you don't get the sunny days of Flrida or Africa here in the UK, so your thinking and how you adapt your camera changes for the conditions enlightened

. Re the colours, they are perhaps 'muted' but the time of day was very 'dull', but agree, it can be very subjective.

Thanks guys.

Registered on March 25, 2007, 189 Posts, 1064 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on November 28, 2015 at 10:19 PM

Great landing pose, Steve, and the old milk churn is rusty enough to have some character.

devil

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on November 29, 2015 at 2:58 AM

'the old milk churn is rusty enough to have some character.'

Yep, it was lying in the field Dennis, be rude not to have used it. As you say, it had 'character' and the owls liked to use it as a lookout over the time.

Cheers

Registered on March 25, 2007, 189 Posts, 1064 Comments