Persistence pays off

V-Spec · 1 Mar 2008 at 22:09

Spent ages driving up and down trying to nail these guys, kept watching them landing on the wall then flying off as I approached, there were 6 different Barn Owls at one point, I even ended up with 3 of them going down the road by the side of my car at 15 - 20mph, they kept stopping for a rest on the wall and finally allowed me to rest the lens on my wing mirror and rattle a few off, they eventually got comfortable with me and I ended up having to set my lens to 2.5m focussing distance

resulting in some of the following shots.
Just being so close to wild birds of prey such as Owls is amazing, getting the shots is the icing on the cake, it was hilarious driving up and down with the car surrounded by barn owls, at one point I had my window open and this big white face kept looking into my driver side window with a big " :confused:

" expression, I even tried driving along and trying to shoot at the same time but it almost ended in tears, so I had to settle for them sitting on the wall.
I took so many, but these are my current faves of the set.

Chuffed to bits

gord · 1 Mar 2008 at 22:16

O'rly

A Thousand Apologies to All.. I literally couldnt help myself

Lovely shots.. what happened to the drive-by shooting image? Did it not come out..

wez130 · 1 Mar 2008 at 22:52

awesome detail on those V-spec, i might try and venture into bird photography, was debating a trip to Farne islands sometime this year

A.N.Other · 1 Mar 2008 at 23:01

Aewsome shots, as usual

. Love the second especially - for the eye contact and the lack of shadows on the face.

V-Spec · 2 Mar 2008 at 07:14

gord said:
O'rly

A Thousand Apologies to All.. I literally couldnt help myself

Lovely shots.. what happened to the drive-by shooting image? Did it not come out..

The owl was a bit too close to the car for me to drive and shoot at the same time, and the hedge meant the light dropped right off so shutter speeds were low, I got a few shots but it looked more like a white and green blur than an owl,

Andrew_McP · 2 Mar 2008 at 09:32

Lovely shots! I'm not sure about the chaotic twiggy bokeh, but that's being really nit-picking. Congratulations on making the most of a great opportunity.

Andrew McP

Chief Wiggum · 2 Mar 2008 at 10:14

They are absolutly cracking shots! No wonder you're chuffed to bits! I'm loving 1 and 4 myself

Kev

SDK^ · 2 Mar 2008 at 10:42

Great photos V-Spec, it's a subject not many of us see outside controlled contdiitons.

Tooks · 2 Mar 2008 at 11:28

Like em!

Exif info states 600mm focal length?

What lens is it you're using?

V-Spec · 2 Mar 2008 at 11:33

Tooks said:
Like em!

Exif info states 600mm focal length?

What lens is it you're using?

The middle 2 are with a 2x converter on @ 600mm, as I was leaning out of the window at an angle, after a while I realised I could get a lot closer, and with the light dropping off F2.8 was needed, so I ditched the 2x, the first and last shot I think are 300mm, I haven't checked all the exifs.

philio16 · 2 Mar 2008 at 11:49

They are beauties!! Are these up near you in Lincoln??

Tooks · 2 Mar 2008 at 12:11

V-Spec said:
The middle 2 are with a 2x converter on @ 600mm, as I was leaning out of the window at an angle, after a while I realised I could get a lot closer, and with the light dropping off F2.8 was needed, so I ditched the 2x, the first and last shot I think are 300mm, I haven't checked all the exifs.

Ah, yes, it was the 2nd pic I checked out.

Thanks for the info anyway.

I'm wrestling with trying to find a decent lens for just these kind of shots myself. I've got a 300mm lens and 2x converter, but that combo is just too slow at the long end of the lens.

I'm also limited by having Pentax DSLR's, so the range of fast zoom lenses is limited, but saving at the moment for a Sigma 50-500mm. Even though it's f6.3 at the long end, that's a lot better than f11.

Another option could be the new Pentax 20mm f2.8, with a 2x AF teleconverter, but that's quite a lot of money at the mo.

Anyway, sorry for rambling, and congrats on the shots - lovely!

V-Spec · 2 Mar 2008 at 12:56

philio16 said:
They are beauties!! Are these up near you in Lincoln??

They're somewhere in lincolnshire

I've been out again this morning and nailed a few, got a nice backlit flight shot.
I haven't seen the Short Eared Owl again, as magnificent as he was, we think he may have just been passing through..

Tooks said:
Ah, yes, it was the 2nd pic I checked out.

Thanks for the info anyway.

I'm wrestling with trying to find a decent lens for just these kind of shots myself. I've got a 300mm lens and 2x converter, but that combo is just too slow at the long end of the lens.

In all fairness you don't need a bonkers lens for doing stationary barn owls, length is always good to have but if you're careful you can get very close and shoot them with 300mm, use a car as a hide - they don't care one bit about cars, just don't get out as the moment you do its too much for them and they freak out.

Tooks · 2 Mar 2008 at 13:24

I will try the car hide thing, I see plenty of barn owls 'ghosting' along between fence posts as I drive to work through the fens of a morning.

I want to try and get some 'in flight' shots too, which was why i was thinking about the fast zoom lens, but I'll see how I get on.

philio16 · 2 Mar 2008 at 13:46

V-Spec said:
They're somewhere in lincolnshire

Cheers

Awesome shots none the less...and to have so many around at once!! Lucky man!

SilverPenguin · 2 Mar 2008 at 17:17

Lovely!! I'd kill to know where there are barn owls near me!!

The short eared owls are lovely! There is a place in oxford where they go every year for a few weeks, I had a go at getting some shots the year before last but all I ever got was oof pictures of them flying away! lol