We got pretty lucky on Tuesday, some folks from a Rehab center were going to go out to rescue an Owl, turned out it didn't need rescuing, it took off before they got it. They announced they might cause the birds we were watching to fly. As I had been taking close portraits of some owls that had been in this same spot all day, I was set up to have the birds full frame in Portrait mode, figuring that there was little chance they would fly. When the Rehab guys showed up and made the announcement, I had no time to change TC's, but at least I did have time to reorient the camera to horizontal. I had time to get focused on a second owl a bit further away after the first one flew off. These are part of a 15 shot sequence, I am thinking of trying to create some animated GIF's of these just for grins. If you want to see the entire sequence, and more, here is a link to Boundary Bay 01/10/2012.
Bill, great light, background and exposure....all yield a very interesting and appealing sequence.
In retrospect, and hindsight is always 20/20 , having a shorter lens as well as a higher shutter speed (?) would have taken care of a possibility of the owl taking off.
As I noted, these Owls had been sitting here, close to the dike, all day so I wasn't expecting flight, but I am not at all unhappy with the sequence either.
When things such as this do occur, I like the way the focus goes more to body and head, a bit of wing blur, especially on the ends, makes me think more of motion.
Thanks, all. Boundary Bay is quite a place at this time of year. Now that I know about it, as well as Reifel, I will have to make this a place I go several times a year even without the Snowy Owls.
With luck I will be able to get some good weather to get back up another time or two, each time is quite different.
, having a shorter lens as well as a higher shutter speed (?) would have taken care of a possibility of the owl taking off.