Photo of the Week 2021-11-29

Almost the end of November and they're baaaack !!

 

' wary glance '

I recently made some time to visit an area that has provided most of my opportunities to photography Snowy Owls and was again rewarded with sightings ... two separate sightings on two separate days (likely the same bird).

 

This image of a female or immature male Snowy Owl was made on the second day, when the bird was much closer to an accessible vantage point. I was able to get close enough for this highly cropped image (approximately 60% of the original frame height) from my Canon R5 in 1.6 crop mode with EF100-400 LII and EF1.4x III (effective focal length 896mm).

 

There is no substitute for focal length when photographing birds, not just focal length, good glass and high mega pixel resolution all play an important part. I like to photograph birds, in particular, unique species like the Snowy Owls and Bald Eagles I can find near our cottage. If I was more dedicated to bird photography, my expenditure on lenses would be significantly greater. I'm not saying never, but for now I'll stick with the gear I have and get what I can get image wise.

 

Sadly, I've decided that I will I no longer share locations of where I find and photograph wildlife on social media. I've seen and heard of too many instances where wildlife are harassed by over exuberant photogs too focused on getting the shot to the detriment of stressing the animal. I'm not saying that I have no impact on my subjects, but I strive to observe and read the animal's behaviour to know when to move on ... as I did with the owl in this week's photo.  I had spent some time at the side of a busy road close to this beauty when it became evident that other cars were slowing down and my presence I was drawing more attention to the bird. As experience has taught, soon other's would be stopping and ... well, I'll just say it usually doesn't go the way I would prefer.

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2021-03-08

 

Always on the lookout for wildlife as I travel to and from Tobermory, this time of year has my "eyes peeled" for snowy owls. I usually see at least one, sometimes more. But last week, as we drove out of the hot spot for owl sightings, I was about to take a break from scanning the area to either side of the highway when I noticed something large perched in a tree.

 

Nicely perched, this bald eagle was close enough for me to park roadside and shoot from the vehicle without disturbing it too much. Though it is quite evident that it knew I was there, I did not approach any closer than other passing traffic and got what shots I could without causing it to fly off.

 

I make a point of describing how I approached photographing this magnificent bird because I've seen first hand how others with camera (I hesitate to call them photographers) are far too careless and disruptive in their approach. It's not just about getting the shot. It's about capturing a genuine wildlife moment with as little stress to to the subject as possible.

 

note: these images are 35% crops from the original captures, even with my 7DII, EF100-400 II and 1.4x Extender for a effective focal length of ~900mm

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2020-04-27

' from the archive '

Switching things up after a string of posts from Windfields Farm and before that, other abandonments, though I'm still mining my library of images having photographed little in the last 8 weeks ...

' yellow eye '

I think all photographers go through a "bird phase" at some point. For that you likely need a telephoto lens and my first for my digital cameras was the Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM. The lens was touted for it's sharpness and versatility but not part of the Canon L-series and hence not with the accompanying price tag.

The next step is frequently to visit a zoo or a location like the Mounstberg Raptor Centre. Back in 2012 when I visited, their birds were all rescues in rehabilitation of deemed unsuitable for release back into the wild. Personnel at the centre cared for the birds and used them for public education. Many of the birds were kept in enclosures that allowed photography through wire netting. There were also paid sessions where handlers would bring birds out and perch them for photographers to snap pics.

On my first visit to the centre, I happened to arrive just as the Snowy Owls were being tended to by staff. They had just watered the vegetation in the enclosure and the two Snowies were sitting near the front looking at the keeper, he commented "they want their bath" and gently sprayed them with the hose. I grabbed this image while one was still fixated on getting it's shower.

The images is processed with "selective colour", the eye being the only colour in the frame, everything else converted to grayscale (B&W). It's not something I normally do, or like for that matter. But a friend asked me if I would make a print as a gift for someone who loved owls.

Here's the image without selective colour ...

DJE

Photo of the Week 2015-08-24

After noticing an immature Bald Eagle sitting on the rock at our shoreline early in my latest week of vacation at the cottage, I began keeping watch in the mornings. A couple of days later I was treated t a fly-by from one of the parents, though not as close as I would have liked.

Since these encounters,  I've spent an hour or so each morning around 7:00 am, sitting at the shore with coffee and camera hoping for a chance at an image from a much closer distance. Still, just seeing these magnificent birds in their natural environment is a thrill.

Sunday morning I sat and watched as the juvenile flew across the mouth of the bay and met up with the adult. Much to far off for anything other than a shot like this ...

DJE

Photo of the Week 2014-12-15

A chance meeting Saturday morning at the Tobermory Farmer's Market Christmas Sale led to some great intelligence for my wildlife photography. While there, I heard two people talking about the number of Snowy Owl's in the area. I interrupted the conversation, introduced myself and listened intently. Another person entered the conversation and the next thing you know I had a plan for Sunday morning.

I left the cottage in the dark before sunrise with the weather heavy.  The morning light was very dull making it necessary to bump up the ISO for decent exposure settings but I was treated to a sighting within minutes of reaching my intended location. A male Snowy was perched on a fencepost a hundred or so metres out in a field so I pulled the vehicle over, grabbed a few quick images, then sat back and poured some hot tea from my thermos to wait.

Eventually he moved on to a utility pole, across a field and then courteously perched on a dead tree stump making for a perfect environmental portrait setting. Fortunately, I was able to get relatively close access from a local dead-end county road and make a number of images, but still from a fair distance.

sitting pretty

I managed to see 2 other Snowy's in the same area, but distance and crappy light remained a challenge preventing me from making any better images.

I'm going to have fun getting to know these beauties this winter.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2012-06-11

The second leg of travel to Northern Ontario and facility inspections for work had me driving from Kenora to Red Lake to visit 3 sites. I set out at 7:00 am and it was early evening by the time I left the last facility to head back to the hotel. Although it meant that it would be after 10:00 by the time I was back at the hotel, there was the possibility of seeing some wildlife in the evening hours with good light.

Driving on Hwy 105, I expected the usual moose and deer, but hoped for something different. I had seen a couple of eagles soaring overhead during the day and was on the lookout for one perched in a tree. This Bald Eagle obliged me by perching near the ground on some recently cut brush of the roadside embankment. Luckily there was a place to pull over and I walked up the shoulder of the hwy about 50 m slowly getting closer and snapping off a few exposures. The eagle got skittish and flew off so I went back to the car and had just resumed driving when I saw it again just down the road. It was perched in a better position and this time let me get close enough to get some good images..

perched

Moments after I made the exposure for this image, the eagle spread it's wings and flew off having tolerated my presence long enough. What a great encounter.

DJE