Everything is wrong with this image that could be wrong with it, but I wanted to share my first owl image with you anyway. I think this is a barred owl. When I tried to get in a better place so as not to have the sky behind it and twigs in front of it it flew deeper into the woods. But it was still very exciting.
Posted by Luke Ormand on January 3, 2011 at 8:43 PM
Never easy to get an owl... no matter that there are sticks in front of the bird. There are many things that could have been wrong about this image but at least you can see the bird well! I've tried so many times to find owls, and stumbled upon 2 and got a heads up on another. When I arrived at that one, the bird was backlit and the owlets were so high in the tree the photos were terrible - but with patience came a great photo op! Keep at it and you'll soon get the desired owl shot
Posted by Brian Gatlin on January 3, 2011 at 9:25 PM
Barbara, in my book, any owl is special, whether you get great pics or not. It's a beauty of a Barred Owl. Owls often reuse roosts, so check back, and maybe you'll find a better angle.
Don't forget to just enjoy wildlife when you find something special! Lots of times, a good image is not going to happen - but you can ALWAYS enjoy the experience and learn more about the animal or bird. This is always a win!
This fellow probably lives somewhere close, so poke around at the same time of day, and you may find him in a better spot next time.
Sandy
Posted by John Tobias on January 4, 2011 at 12:31 PM
Nice find Barbara, hope you will find many more. Sandy's comment is right on. Enjoy the experience.
Posted by Jim DeWitt on January 4, 2011 at 3:07 PM
Congratulations, Barbara. I think you'll find that as you learn the search image for owls, and spend time in the woods, you'll see that there are more owls around than you had guessed.
But Sandy is right. Sometimes, as photographers, we get so focused on getting the photo that we forget to enjoy the experience. On my recent Antarctic trip, the expedition leader, Hannah Lawson, had the following advice for photographers: "Before you take your first photo, look around for a few minutes. Then close your eyes. Listen. Take a deep breath and smell the air. Give yourself a minute to appreciate where you are. What you are sensing. Then start taking photos." Hannah was exactly right. Those moments, more than any photo, are what have stayed with me.
Discussion
6 repliesThis fellow probably lives somewhere close, so poke around at the same time of day, and you may find him in a better spot next time.
Sandy
But Sandy is right. Sometimes, as photographers, we get so focused on getting the photo that we forget to enjoy the experience. On my recent Antarctic trip, the expedition leader, Hannah Lawson, had the following advice for photographers: "Before you take your first photo, look around for a few minutes. Then close your eyes. Listen. Take a deep breath and smell the air. Give yourself a minute to appreciate where you are. What you are sensing. Then start taking photos." Hannah was exactly right. Those moments, more than any photo, are what have stayed with me.