Shot Notes

I went to the zoo for a couple of hours during the winter. It can be a frustrating exercise for a photographer during that time of the year because all the animals are indoors and behind glass, or worse, behind bars. Not the easiest of shooting conditions. This little owl was in a small room with glass on opposite walls. Outside was a hillside covered in snow. By exposing him properly, I was able to throw the background almost completely white.

There is some Photoshop work in this photo above and beyond normal photo work. First, to create the horizontal image, I did add a portion of white to the left — however, the white behind the owl naturally occurred because of the way I exposed the image. Second, the owl’s right leg was originally banded, wearing away most of the feathers on that leg. I carefully edited the photo to remove the band and put the feathers back on his leg in order to create a more natural feel.

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