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re post On the Prowl
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re post On the Prowl

by Greg Lessard

Gallery: Weekly ChallengePosted February 14, 201655 views3 comments
I have reposted this image with the blue overtones removed from the image.   Thank you for the suggestions!

This snowy owl was actively hunting along a snowy beach in February of 2014.   It paused on a dune to eat some snow.   I was fortunate to be in position to make this image.   Below is an excerpt from an article I wrote about this image and how to safely photograph snowy owls.   You can read the entire article and see more images here: http://wbhunt.com/blog/adventures-in-photography-the-elusive-snowy-owl/
  <div>"Based on its size and coloration, I assumed that it was a male owl.   There is no way to tell the sex of an owl for sure without capturing it.    Male owls are typically smaller and paler than the females, but this is not always true.   As I photographed this stunning owl, it flew from its perch and landed on a nearby snow covered dune.   The more natural setting was very appealing and I was thrilled to create some excellent images.</div> <div> </div> <div>This owl was on the prowl.   It was very active, constantly moving around.   At one point it scooped snow with its beak, presumably for a chilly winter drink.   Within a few minutes the owl flew further away, but it had made my day!

To photograph this owl, I used a 600mm f4 lens and a Nikon D 7000 with a 1.5 crop sensor.   This combination effectively functions as a 900mm f4 lens!    This allowed me to keep a safe distance from the owl (more than 50 feet) and still make sharp and close images, without disturbing the owl."</div>

Comments

3 comments
Comment posted by Dennis Plank on February 14, 2016 at 9:04 AM
This looks much nicer, Greg.  Excellent work.

devil
Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments
Comment posted by Mark Seaver on February 14, 2016 at 10:03 AM
Yes, this looks "clearer".  I saw the blue in the snow on the original post and accepted it as the snow reflecting the sky's color.  While that is completely natural, part of presenting an image is the human factor and removing the blue is something that human's do automatically when we view a scene like this one.
Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments
Comment posted by Jim Zablotny on February 14, 2016 at 11:30 AM
Hi Greg--This version is a lot brighter and crisper than your previous version. Well worth the effort with the reduction of the blue in the snowdevil...........................Jim
Registered on January 17, 2004, 705 Posts, 3594 Comments