Owl Pics (Warning - Not V-Spec Quality!!)

[Tooks]

Inspired by V-Specs stunning Owl pics, I've been spending a bit of time trying to find some Owls of my own to picture. The location I've found isn't ideal from a shooting point of view as the owls are often backlit by the setting sun when I'm in my 'Car Hide' on the side of the road.

Now, I was in awe of V-Specs pics before, but I've got even more respect for him now as this photgraphing birds in flight malarkey isn't easy!!

I'm using a Pentax K10d, Sigma APO 70-300mm f4-5.6, and a Kenko 1.5x teleconverter giving me 450mm, but I'd like more!

These 3 are the best out of about 150 I've taken, but I'm not happy with them, and would appreciate any tips as to make them better? If I set the shutter speed to where I want it, then they are under exposed, even at 800iso. If I go with aperture priority, then the shutter speed is quite slow, giving the wing movement you see. I know it's not a bad effect, but am I right in thinking I need a faster lens really? I accept there is user error in here somewhere too!

Hey, maybe you can help me justify a Pentax SMC FA 600mm F4 ED!

Anyway, any advice gratefully received!

 

[V-Spec]

lol @ thread title

I rekon the 2nd and last ones are best, if you've shot in raw perhaps you could recover the blown part of the owls face in number 3?

Barn owls are a nightmare to expose as they reflect most of the evening sun very brightly whilst your camera meters off the dark fields in the background, and also the fact that when they come out you lose shutter speed fast as the light diminishes.
When I have a background such as fields I tend to underexpose by around 1/3or 2/3rds, to darken the owl and bring the levels up in PP afterwards.. You could try spot metering but I find it too erratic, and stick to normal metering.

As for shooting modes, I normally shoot on manual or aperture priority, the reason is that I want the aperture fixed wide open (most of the time) to get as much shutter speed as possible, I think trial/error is best as what works for one person may not work for someone else.

Looks to me like you've gotten nice and close, in my experience the key is to get out as much as possible, you've obviously found an owl and he/she will be around quite a lot at this time of the year, although I find that some nights are "weird" where you won't see anything whatsoever, then the next night you can't get away from them.

Keep a lookout for any nearby posts or bridges, as they love to stop and have a rest, if your careful you can drive right alongside them - they can be very accomodating, although I set my camera to silent mode as they do get quite upset by loud rattling shutters when close.

On another note, i've just paid up for a trip to go to Canada in Feb to photograph the Snowy Owls as they come down from the Arctic to feed, to say i'm excited is an understatement

 

[Cavallino]

lol @ thread title

I rekon the 2nd and last ones are best, if you've shot in raw perhaps you could recover the blown part of the owls face in number 3?

Barn owls are a nightmare to expose as they reflect most of the evening sun very brightly whilst your camera meters off the dark fields in the background, and also the fact that when they come out you lose shutter speed fast as the light diminishes.
When I have a background such as fields I tend to underexpose by around 1/3or 2/3rds, to darken the owl and bring the levels up in PP afterwards.. You could try spot metering but I find it too erratic, and stick to normal metering.

As for shooting modes, I normally shoot on manual or aperture priority, the reason is that I want the aperture fixed wide open (most of the time) to get as much shutter speed as possible, I think trial/error is best as what works for one person may not work for someone else.

Looks to me like you've gotten nice and close, in my experience the key is to get out as much as possible, you've obviously found an owl and he/she will be around quite a lot at this time of the year, although I find that some nights are "weird" where you won't see anything whatsoever, then the next night you can't get away from them.

Keep a lookout for any nearby posts or bridges, as they love to stop and have a rest, if your careful you can drive right alongside them - they can be very accomodating, although I set my camera to silent mode as they do get quite upset by loud rattling shutters when close.

On another note, i've just paid up for a trip to go to Canada in Feb to photograph the Snowy Owls as they come down from the Arctic to feed, to say i'm excited is an understatement

Wow you going to Canada for photography purposes? Im impressed!
Is it a hobby of yours V-Spec or do you do professional photography as a career?

I cant seem to find your owl thread, if you could perhaps link me to it, I would be grateful.

Nice shots btw Tooks!

 

[Tooks]

Cheers for the tips V-Spec!

There are 3 that patrol this particular spot, but like you say, some nights they don't show up at all! I went last night, and only saw one way in the distance. A couple of nights previously, it felt like there were 30 swooping about!

I did get a series of pics where one of them had just caught a vole, and it had taken it to a nearby post. I captured it swallowing it's meal, but unfortunately he/she was backlit by a very bright setting sun, and there is a lot of fringing around it and they just aren't very sharp, worse than the ones I've posted even!

I've been using spot metering, so I'll give the normal metering a shot and also try under exposing a little too. I also haven't shot in RAW yet, so I'll do that as well as like you say it will give me more post processing options.

What shutter speed did you end up with on the pics you've posted by the way, just to give me an idea?

I can see these Owls becoming a bit of an obsession to be honest! I really don't want to go out and photograph anything else at the moment!!

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to feedback, and the Snowy Owl trip sounds awesome!

 

[A.N.Other]

You've got some nice shots there. As you say, a bit of wing movement can be nice, but I reckon the shutter speed is just a bit low and it's meaning that the images aren't as sharp as they could be. The 70-300 APO isn't the sharpest lens wide open and using a TC on it will only highlight this really - it's not listed by Sigma as a lens that will take one. Stopping down obviously isn't an option, so I'd probably just go with raising the ISO a bit more to get the shutter speed up a bit and then possibly use some noise reduction software in PP.

I cant seem to find your owl thread, if you could perhaps link me to it, I would be grateful.

Just search this forum for "owls" - there are lots of threads.

 

[Cavallino]

Cheers A.N.Other

 

[Tooks]

Cheers A.N.Other, the posted pics were at ISO400, so I'll give it a go at ISO800 too, although I think that's the tipping point for the K10D where it starts to get pretty noisy.

Is there any specialist Noise Reduction software you can recommend, or is Photoshop CS2 as good as anything?

The lens is a bit soft wide open, I agree, but funds won't allow for anything better at the moment, so I'm stuck with it!

I like the look of the new Pentax 300mm F4 SDM lens that has just been released, and I'm going to try one at a shop in the next couple of weeks. Its focusing motor is supposed to be a lot quieter than the Pentax/Sigma combo, so that would be nice too. But, it'll be a while before I can afford one!

Thanks again!

 

[V-Spec]

Wow you going to Canada for photography purposes? Im impressed!
Is it a hobby of yours V-Spec or do you do professional photography as a career?

I cant seem to find your owl thread, if you could perhaps link me to it, I would be grateful.

Nice shots btw Tooks!

Its a hobby for me, as much as i'd like to do wildlife professionally, for the moment a standard dayjob in I.T. although I do have my plans, Canada is the start of that, i'm going with Miguel Lasa from SLR user magazine and a few other people. Where it takes me from there we'll see.. check my flickr profile in signature for most of my recent stuff

Tooks, as for lens choice I wouldn't go much longer than a 300mm + converters, for doing wildlife from a car, for the simple reason that you've got so little room to move a big lens around in a car, I borrowed my friends 800 5.6 not long back and it was just a pain.. with the 300 I lie across both seats and lean on the window with a beanbag, 300 is the perfect size, plus for flight shots its extremley difficult to accuratley track something which is moving from a car, compared to being stood up in a field.. I've got a kirk window bracket but its not that good because sometimes the Owl/whatever will fly on the opposite side and its a pain to unhook and switch sides, I just get frustrated and annoyed, although the window bracket + 500-800mm lens is perfect.

 

[33L]

I like the shots - i havent been fortunate enough to find anything close to me for shots like these!

 

[greengiant]

Nice shots! I've got a Tamron 70-300 F/4-5.6 Di LD lens for my pentax K100D, seeing as you are getting pretty good results on your sigma lens with the 1.5 converter I think I'll be getting one too!

What particular Kenko converter did you buy?

 

[Tooks]

greengiant, it's the 'Kenko 1.5x AF DG' one. If you google for that, there are a few places selling it.

It's pretty good, and although officially it doesn't support AF on lenses over F4, it works fine. I've got a K100D as well, and I've had a quick check and it auto focuses fine on it.

V-Spec, yeah I think you're right regarding lens size. I did see the 600mm Pentax in a shop, and it was huge. It would be more at home at a football match or the F1 circuits I think. As I say, I'm going to try that new Pentax 300mm F4 SDM, which I think will be about right, and will let a bit more light in at the long end, even with a converter. I don't know about sharpness though.

 

[greengiant]

Tooks, thanks for the info regarding the converter! Got a bit of overtime burning a hole in my pocket so I think I'll invest. Hopefully it will work with my Tamron 70-300 lens. Might be interesting to try out on a 16mm fisheye too!