Out of the Darkness

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by Bill McMullen from Rockland CA on 30 Jan 2013

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A Great Gray Owl emerges from the shadows of a nearby woods. Ottawa, Ontario. I have not been on CG much lately but have many recent photos of Great Gray Owls at: www.flickr.com/photos/billmcmullen/

tagged: great gray owl owls

7 comments

Bill McMullen posted 2013-01-31 9:08am

Hi Paul and thank you. I used a Canon 7D, 400mm f5.6L USM at 1/2500, f5.6, iso 400, handheld. I was fortunate to have bright light for a change. I always shoot manual to ensure the proper exposure, especially with flight shots. When it is overcast or snowing I might use +2 exposure compensation. Concentrate on exposing the owl properly and don't worry about the background.

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Isabelle_V posted 2013-01-31 7:37am

this and all other images are stunning....my fav...I envy ~

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paulpage12 posted 2013-01-30 11:06pm

I've succeeded in taking many good shots of Great Greys in OrlÃ©ans recently but this one is the best I have seen so far. Congratulations Bill. Can you advise what lens you were using and what settings for this fantastic capture?

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Bill McMullen posted 2013-01-30 9:23pm

Thanks for the comments. Mikey, Great Grays are among the most approachable of the larger owls but nonetheless they can be skittish at times. I never approach an owl directly or head on but rather slowly meander my way very slowly and stopping frequently and allowing the owl to focus its attention elsewhere. Usually they go back to what they were doing and pay little attention to me. Good luck!

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Mikey_Rowlandson posted 2013-01-30 5:51pm

Stunning Bill, Any tips on how to approach these magnificent birds, Im going out tomorrow to a wood with 2 known great grey's. Fingers crossed I can find them.

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