This Sequoyah owl encounter took place on September 19, 2011, at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. A Great Horned Owl perched beside the auto tour road leading to the Moody Boat Ramp. Getting the photograph meant stepping out of my truck.
My Sequoyah Owl Encounter Beside the Road
The owl sat on the passenger side of my truck, which made photographing it from my seat difficult. I had a close view, but I needed a better position for the shot.
I hesitate to leave my vehicle when photographing wildlife. A bird may stay perched while I sit inside, then fly off when I open the door.
This time, the owl stayed put as I opened the door and stepped out.
Photographing the Owl With Support From My Truck
I used the truck door to brace myself for the photograph. The owl remained on its perch while I took the shot.
For this encounter, I used my Canon EOS 1D Mark III and Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS lens. In aperture priority mode, I selected f/6.3 and ISO 800. The camera selected a shutter speed of 1/640 second.
Camera settings:
- Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III
- Lens: Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS
- Focal length: 500mm
- Mode: Aperture priority
- Aperture: f/6.3
- Shutter speed: 1/640 second
- ISO: 800
- Date: September 19, 2011
- Time: 8:04:18 a.m.
Another Great Horned Owl Encounter at Sequoyah
I don’t find an owl on each visit to Sequoyah, so I appreciate chances like this one. I left with a photograph after wondering whether the bird would let me step outside.
Years later, I photographed a young owl at the same refuge. I shared that story in A Lucky Encounter with a Great Horned Owl Fledgling.