Too Cute!

f/5.6 at 1/1000 sec, ISO 3200 at 500 mm
Nikon Z7ii with Nikon 200-500 mm f/5.6E lens (with FTZ adaptor)
Taken 03/18/2022 in Sandestin, FL

I had been driving by this sign for Jolee Island Nature Park while we were on vacation in Sandestin, Florida everyday but I never stopped. The entrance looked a little ragged and I didn’t really think there was anything back there. The last night we were in Florida, on a whim, I decided to go check it out because I heard you might be able to spot osprey hunting for fish from that point. Much to my surprise, the island was quite nice with a great view of the harbor and had a real quiet feel to it. I never did see any osprey though.

However, someone had spotted a Horned Owl in a tree. I was quite excited so I found it and spent quite some time taking pictures of it. Everyone else had left at this point but I still enjoyed my one on one time with this gorgeous owl. Then I spotted another Horned Owl! I couldn’t believe my luck and started taking pictures of this second one, which was even closer so I could get some really tight shots of it. I had brought my long 200-500 mm lens and a tripod, so I had the added benefit of actually being prepared for these pictures! Then the ultimate in good luck. I saw two baby horned owls, cuddled up together on a branch, bracing against the increasing winds. They looked adorable! When they looked me straight in the eye, I knew I had my magical shot!

For post-processing, I took this into Lightroom and really brightened up the picture because the owls were backlit and quite dark to begin with. This is where shooting in RAW really pays off. I also used the new “Select Subject” feature in Lightroom to automatically select the owls so I could work on the exposure of the owls without messing up the background. Finally, I took the file into Topaz De-noise to reduce the noise from shooting at ISO 3200 and then into Topaz Sharpen to sharpen up the details in the owls. A final vignette over the image in Lightroom to draw the eyes to the owls.