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Great horned owl

Great horned owl in a natural setting

Great horned owl in a natural setting
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Canon EOS R

settings

Aperture f/9 ISO 10000 Shutter 1/160 Focal Length 105/1

location

Stone Mountain, Georgia, US

upload_date

Oct, 2018

Views

198

Likes

+16

Awards

Fall Award 2020

Top Choice

Peer Award

Outstanding Creativity

Absolute Masterpiece

Superb Composition

All Star

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was made at the Stone Mountain Highland Games and Scottish Festival in Atlanta, GA. This was my first visit to these Games which are one of the largest in the country. I take my camera everywhere I go, so it was natural for me to document what I saw and experienced. Various raptors were on display by the Georgia Falconry Association.

Time

This was probably made in the afternoon.

Lighting

Fortunately, the display location had a wooded background and it was in a shaded location. I positioned myself to give the best background that was available. There were many people crowding around to see the birds, so I had to wait for people to leave to find a good spot. The handlers couldn't move around much and I had to choose the best option available. It had been raining and the overcast sky produced fairly even lighting. I used a small f-stop number to blur the background.

Equipment

The camera was a Canon EOS R body, Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R, and a Canon 70-300mm F 4-5.6 IS II USM lens. This photo was handheld. There were too many people to use a tripod and flash was not needed.

Inspiration

Raptor displays are always good opportunities to make nice closeups of the birds. So, I made it a priority to visit the display to see what photos could be made. Since they were bringing the birds out for short periods of time to reduce the stress on them, I visited the display several times. This great horned owl was a little damp from the recent rain, but I love the yellow eyes and wonderful feather patterns.

Editing

The RAW file was imported into Lightroom Classic. Basic adjustments for cropping, white and black points, and exposure were made. This image didn't require any more post-processing.

In my camera bag

Photography at events such as the Stone Mountain Highland Games and Scottish Festival requre lots of walking. Since I'm older and have bad knees the amount of equipment I carry is important. On this day I carried the Canon EOS R with two lenses, the Canon 70-300mm F 4-5.6 IS II USM lens, and the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens. I also carried a Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II for quick grab-shots. A small fanny pack carried this equipment and a small on-camera flash.

Feedback

Only carry lens focal lengths to cover the scenes you want to capture. A small fill flash is always handy for informal portraits and close-ups. A small tripod or monopod can be useful when they are allowed and they don't impede other people. Most outdoor events will have adequate natural light. Keeping the amount of equipment small allows you to focus on finding the images that capture the mood of the event. The people at events where costumes are prevelant (kilts, period uniforms and clothing) usually love to have their pictures made. Smile and ask permission to take photos. Offer to give them digital or paper copies of their portraits. When you are making photos for your own pleasure and don't have the pressure of being an "official" photographer, have fun while meeting people and making new friends. Carry and hand out business cards so people can contact you to get copies of their portraits.

See more amazing photos, follow RMcCon

RMcCon

RMcCon

Great horned owl

Great horned owl in a natural setting

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow RMcCon

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