w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m
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HERE ARE MY KEY POINTS:
• Position myself relative to my subject and according to the light
• Prepare my camera settings and lens BEFORE I approach the owl
• Not only do I look at the owl, but I note the fore and backgrounds
• Persistence with patience with my subject's behaviors
I saw my subject and quickly scanned the perimeter of the owl. The soft grasses with a wide open ap-
erture setting of F5.6 gave me the soft foreground grasses and green palette in the background. I slowly
approached within my car and parked at an angle so I could shoot without obstruction from my outside
mirror. I'm using a 500mm lens with a 1.4 teleconverter so my distance is still about 20 yards away.
My subject creates interest by staring at something above and away.
Watching your subject's eyes is a clue into what else is in their surroundings, such as another raptor.
The emerald green grasses are a perfect back-
ground for illuminating my subject. Of course, the
owl chose his own backdrop minus background
homes, telephone wires, or fence posts.
Once again, here is the yoga stretch
with complete balance, but this time,
my foreground and backgrounds are in
reverse with pronounced grasses and a
colorful background palette.
