Great horned owl, Thickson Woods

[mr.sharp-photo]

I said I wouldn't post any more pictures, but there are a few reasons why I'm posting this.
First, thanks to Charles, who I know frequents this board. I appreciate the kindness you showed and your camera setting tips really made a difference.
and thanks to the two great horned owls I saw today. was really really neat!
but I'm posting this because seeing an owl (and taking a picture) is one of my last GTA birds I'd yet to see. so today was a good day.

[JTF]

Very nice image. Great light; shadows on the bird. Detail is lovely.

[denis]

beautiful capture yogi.i see you found the resident great-horned!

[mr.sharp-photo]

a few more for you. and let me know if they are bright enough. my monitor at work makes them look too dark. not sure if they lost some of the brightness when they were uploaded.

[Dr. John]

Nice pix. Love the play of light over the owl.

-John

[Misty01]

Great pictures!

[Moira]

Congrats on the pics!  I struggle with the lighting in Thickson's Woods and would appreciate any advice on lighting.  I have many pictures of the GHO (at least I know that's what it is!).

[denis]

they look great yogi!by the way,thanks for the directions to humber.i got some pretty good pics,of the hoodies,this morning.
denis

[mr.sharp-photo]

Congrats on the pics!  I struggle with the lighting in Thickson's Woods and would appreciate any advice on lighting.  I have many pictures of the GHO (at least I know that's what it is!).

a few "secrets", i guess. first, Charles told me what he was shooting with. i'd yet to find the sweet spot for my lens and was actually wondering/fretting about it this week (wasn't happy with the hooded merganser photos i took last weekend). he told me he was shooting at f8. i tried that, shot off a tripod, and voila! also helped to have a perfectly cloudless day (which justified the 30 min drive to Oshawa)

photoshop also is a friend, since the eyes were underexposed due to the natural shadow the sun cast. so i used a trick to bring out the real eye colour without making things look unreal.

[Kin Lau]

The best time for shots like these, is a day with high overcast clouds. That way, the whole owl is in the shade. Sunny days are good for being able to see, but for photography, I prefer light clouds.

Even for birds not in the woods, sunny conditions make for overly contrasty light. Mornings and late afternoons usually have the best light, hence the golden hour.

The nice thing about winter, is that the sun is lower in the horizon all day, and snow on the grounds works very well as a reflector to fill in the shadows.

[denis]

thanks for the great advice kin.perhaps,bracketing would help,create,a better balancd picture,with a composite,if the subject is still.
denis

[mr.sharp-photo]

while SUNNY days do leave things too bright or cast too many shadows, I head to Thickson Woods expecting to maybe see something. and when i see something, i expect it to be hidden by the trees. so i was kind of surprised to see an owl sleeping out on a sunny branch and to be able to use whatever exposure i wanted to use
but for wooded areas, i personally like it to be sunny so i don't need to bump up my ISO and have grainy pics if i have to utilize my zoom. but that's just me.

[Niloc]

Excellent pics Yogi lighting is nice and good all around composition!!!!

[MEGHAN]

Brilliant!!
Also, I'm super glad you are posting.
Photos like these are the reason you should continue to do so.
Meghan

[Moira]

Thanks for the info Yogi; I really like the pines in the background.  I haven't been out in the last week or so.  I'll have to get out this weekend.  I'd like to go to Humber Bay again and maybe try Brampton.  
Thanks too Kin.  Your comment about the snow is interesting.  I read in one of my photography books that adjustments are required for snow (have to read again to be more specific!)  Another photographer I met in Thickson Woods also said it acts as a great reflector and will provide additional light.
Picking up all these tips and tricks of the trade is great.