Great-horned Owl in the dark.


Posted by Mako_Elite on Wed Oct 31, 2018 7:38 pm

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Shot few days ago early morning with zero light. I taped huge MAG flashlight to the bottom of the tripod shoe on the lens. I found 4 GH-Owls all fairly close. I could hear mommy hooting and 3 youngster screeching like a nice stereo concert. They were flying around as I could hear them moving from tree to tree since locations of the screeches changing often near me. 
I turned flashlight off and just listen to the concert from very close range, very surreal feeling.
 At one point I found this young male really close posing for me looking in to the flashlight, just checking me out. I had to zoom out to 290mm since this owl was really close.
Shooting in the dark has it's advantages like you can shoot low ISO and low shutter speed even flying birds since all 100% light is from flash.
D2Hs, 200-500mm f/5.6 
1/250, ISO-400, f/5.6, VR-ON,handheld @290mm SB-800 flash + Better Beamer.

Please click on the image for uncompressed view, thank you.


Last edited by Mako_Elite on Thu Nov 01, 2018 12:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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by Ron Day on Wed Oct 31, 2018 9:21 pm
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What a great experience, Ludo. Your flash work is first-rate. For a shot in total darkness, this image appears very natural. The eye contact is the best. Great story and great photograph!
 

by Cynthia Crawford on Thu Nov 01, 2018 5:25 am
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These owls must know you by name by now! What a hoot! ;). Love your story, and this is an excellent picture- very clever of you to use the flashlight judiciously-I suppose it did not bother them.
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by Carol Clarke on Thu Nov 01, 2018 5:52 am
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Perfect technique and wonderful capture, Ludo! So natural and beautifully done.

Carol.
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by Karl Egressy on Thu Nov 01, 2018 6:27 am
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Great technique and image, Ludo.
 

by Gene Gwin on Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:47 am
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Ludo, Really nice details considering the circumstances. Where I live, we would worry too much about Rattlesnakes to move around in the dark.
 

by LynnS on Thu Nov 01, 2018 12:00 pm
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Ludo, the best one yet!  Wonderful full frontal attentive pose, good solid perch, and a nice touch to see some BG in context.  Also loved your story, it's a privilege experiencing owls "in their world," so to speak, and the surprise, (though when I think of it, it shouldn't be), is how natural and comfortable they are in their dark realm, as they go about their owl business - it's surreal and even humbling, learning from them.
Lynn
 

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