Last weekend I visited Weston Park for the show there and took my camera along, as I knew there would be some falconry displays. This autumn and winter I am hoping to fit in some raptor photography…barn owls and short eared owls and I have not had much of a chance to practise my flight shots. Falconry displays are an excellent place to practise as it is a real skill to be able to track a moving ‘target’ with a zoom lens, keeping the bird in the focus point and getting the camera to ‘lock’ onto it. It is also good to practise different settings to see what works best and to get an idea of the shutter speed needed. Not only is focussing difficult, but as birds fly from a low vantage point with trees in the background, into a bright sky, correct exposure becomes an issue too! So much to think about. Falconry displays give you the chance to repeatedly practise such skills and I am hoping then, if I get the chance in the wild, I may have half a chance of getting decent shot! In the wild, you may only get one opportunity.
Here are a couple of my best shots from the show… in fact the bird of prey ones are some of the best I have taken… and these guys were going at some speed… may be I am going to have a half a chance this winter of getting the kind of shot I want!
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