EOS 1D X + 300 f/2.8 IS II + DxO = Awesome

[mackguyver]

Here's a 100% crop of a great horned owl photo taken 9 minutes before sunrise this morning. I got better shots of the owl, but this was the first shot and it was a mere silhouette to my eyes. The bird took off right after this shot to a nearby tree and I didn't think I had even focused on the bird until I got home and downloaded my photos. I couldn't believe it!

f/2.8 1/160s, ISO 4000, EV+1, pushed ~0.25 stop in post, DxO Prime:

 

[mackguyver]

And the full photo:

 

[candyman]

Here's a 100% crop of a great horned owl photo taken 9 minutes before sunrise this morning. I got better shots of the owl, but this was the first shot and it was a mere silhouette to my eyes. The bird took off right after this shot to a nearby tree and I didn't think I had even focused on the bird until I got home and downloaded my photos. I couldn't believe it!

f/2.8 1/160s, ISO 4000, EV+1, pushed ~0.25 stop in post, DxO Prime:

Wonderful capture!
I still dream of going out early and running into such wonderful subject.

 

[scottkinfw]

Very nice shot. Where do you live?

sek

And the full photo:

 

[mackguyver]

candyman & Scott - thanks for the nice comments. Obviously I wish I could have been closer to him so I could use the 300m without extenders, but it's just amazing to be able to shoot before sunrise. Back in the day with my Rebel / 7D and 400 f/5.6 lens, I would never have dreamed of shooting in such low light, so it's really changing how I shoot. Scott, I live in Tallahassee, FL, which is in the Panhandle of the state.

 

[Northstar]

Here's a 100% crop of a great horned owl photo taken 9 minutes before sunrise this morning. I got better shots of the owl, but this was the first shot and it was a mere silhouette to my eyes. The bird took off right after this shot to a nearby tree and I didn't think I had even focused on the bird until I got home and downloaded my photos. I couldn't believe it!

f/2.8 1/160s, ISO 4000, EV+1, pushed ~0.25 stop in post, DxO Prime:

what fun! nice shot! i never see owls where i live...bummer.

 

[mackguyver]

what fun! nice shot! i never see owls where i live...bummer.

Thanks and I bet plenty of owls have seen you They are VERY hard to spot and I once asked a famous owl photographer how he finds them, and his answer was luck and persistence. He said he walks around and checks every tree until he finds one. Keep in mind that this is what he does full time, of course. I got really lucky with this guy, though the early hour really helped. Usually I hear them and then try to find them, and I have about a 5% success rate if they are nearby and hoot/call more than 2x.