Barred Owl (Strix varia), by Reed A. George
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 100-300mm f4-5.6 OIS Lens
iso 400, f6.3, 1/800 sec
Oh, man, am I psyched about this shot! I have been looking for owls for a couple of years, with no success. This morning, on the way to a birding expedition in a local park, I came across this barred owl perched near a road.
He (or she?) gave me plenty of time to grab my G3 and 100-300, attach it to a monopod, and get to work.
I have learned some things over the years of shooting wildlife. First, shoot from far away, to make sure you get something, then move closer. I did that. I also bracketed exposures, used different iso levels (to balance fast enough shutter speed with low noise levels), different f-stops (to vary depth of field), etc. I have a lot of exposures in the bag before I drove away.
The only problem I had with the shots, which were made in unbelievably nice morning light, was contrast. In most (nearly all) of the pictures, the owl's right eye was completely black. I couldn't see that on the LCD. Next time? I'll also include a little flash fill, even if it's just from the G3's built-in flash.
I think this demonstrates what Micro 4/3 in general, and the Lumix 100-300mm lens can do when conditions are right.
I am really pleased with this opportunity. It made getting up early to go hike and shoot really worthwhile!
DMC-365.blogspot.com
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