This evening around 6:30pm I happened to walk out in our backyard here in Georgia. Looking into our trees I could see a large bird backlit by the setting sun. It was a Barred Owl!

I immediately ran into the house and grabbed my camera.

It was tough shooting because the owl was shrouded in the darkness of the tree but, heavily backlit. I tried to compensate by using spot metering. After taking a few images I ran into the house to get my wife, Beth. She came out and luckily, the owl was still there.

Next, I got bold and decided to go back in the house and get my flash. I mounted the flash, adjusted it for backlight conditions and walked outside. The owl was still there! I got off one shot before he flew.

The flash sure brought out more color and detail. Needless to say, I’m pretty happy with the results!

You just never know what you might find in your own backyard.