In Kazakhstan we had a photo shoot with raptors including a golden eagle, an eagle owl, and a bearded vulture. These are birds that are all native to Central Asia. The trainer was able to fly the birds so we could get action shots. Even though these were captive birds, getting a good flight shot isn't easy. This picture shows an eagle owl landing on a pile of rocks. The sun was harsh -- it was about 11am -- and I had to work in Adobe Camera Raw to open the shadows and minimize the highlights to make this look good. I also replaced the background because the original was terribly distracting. My settings were the typical choices I use for flying birds: 1/3200, f/11, and I put the exposure mode on manual with the ISO on automatic. When I do this, it means I'm willing to accept a high ISO in exchange for a shutter speed fast enough to freeze the wings. At the same time, I want a moderate amount of depth of field so the entire bird is sharp. With these settings, in bright sunlight, the ISO ended up being 1600.
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