| |
| Home | Stock Library | Features | Portfolio | Products | About | Blog | Workshops | Contact |
|
|
« previous | next »
Masked Owl Roost Tree
The Masked Owl is widespread across Australia, but mainly in woodland and forests. Like many owls, it spends the day roosting in a tree hollow. I was lucky to be working with some owl researchers who had tracked an individual to this large dead Red Gum. Being on assignment, I wanted a special shot—one that would make a dramatic double page spread. I prepared well in advance, setting up all my equipment in daylight. The researchers were fairly confident it would emerge from this particular hole in the tree. I focused critically on it and sat down to wait.
When it was fully dark, I could hear scrabbles as it climbed up the inside of the tree. As I peered through the lens I saw—nothing! It was as too dark and I couldn’t risk a torch! So I fired wildly and as the flash lit up the night sky I could see, sure enough, the owl’s head peering out of a hole—but the wrong one! It emerged from a hole about a metre behind the one I was focused on. I love the shot anyway, even if the owl is a bit small and slightly out of focus, because the ambient exposure recorded all the subtle blue and purple hues of night-time.
All photographs and text are copyright Esther Beaton and other parties.
The images shown throughout this website may not be downloaded, copied, stored, or reproduced in any way, whether digital, electronic, film or paper, with the exceptions mentioned in the Stock Library Terms of Use. Prohibited reproduction will be considered a breach of the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth) and of the Berne Convention. To obtain permission to reproduce any images, you are invited to go to the Contact section of this website and to make your request in writing.
