Imm Snowy Owl.

[Marc Latrémouille]

I've been dreaming of such a shot ever since I got interested in birds approx 15yrs ago. I've seen similar action shots in National Geographic and other great magazines. I always wondered how someone can capture such an image...Now I know.

How the image was captured and conceived:

Light, wind direction , background and an understanding of the owls behaviour was key to make this image.

The light and wind needed to be in my back, I had to be standing to photograph the action in order to only have the owl and snow in the capture. I also understood, after seeing the owl approach it's prey on previous tries, the direction in which the owl would take his prey.

Although baiting can be political, I firmly believe that no harm was done to the owl while conceiving and capturing my dream snowy owl photo.

(edited once...Cropped bottom as per great suggestion)

30D
Tv(Shutter Speed)
1/2000Sec.
Av(Aperture Value)
F5.6
Metering Modes
Evaluative metering
Exposure Compensation
-1/3
ISO Speed
100
Lens
EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM
Focal Length
300.0 mm
Image size
3504 x 2336
Image Quality
RAW

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Hey, good to see you here, Marc. Excellent image and timing. My only suggestion is to crop a bit off the bottom and if you clone, to remove the leaf in the lower left.

[David Hemmings]

Hey Marc, wonderful image my friend, I know the feeling of elation;)

[Andrew McCullough]

This is fantastic Marc. Love the cloud of snow. The bird's angle to the camera is perfect. The big bright eyes are captivating.

[Larry Kaufman]

Beautiful capture Marc. Excellent technicals, eye contact, and action. I am not sure how I personally feel about baiting, but I do sincerely appreciate that you included that information. My only nit relates to processing for the web as there is a sharpening halo around the mouse's tail. To me the mouse tail is a critical element in the midst of the snow explosion which draws my eye and the halo is a distraction. If I have an image where it is tough to minimize the halo on in processing I will manually clone it out using the pen on my wacom tablet.

Regards,
Larry

[Jasper Doest]

Although you've created a wonderful action photo I think this is a bit too tight for my taste. I feel the bird is cramped within the edges of the frame and would need some more space on both left and right.


Although baiting can be political, I firmly beleive that no harm was done to the owl while conceiving and capturing my dream snowy owl photo.

No, perhaps not to the owl, but what about the mouse :confused:. For me the political thing about baiting is mostly the death of a living creature in order to get a photograph. If that would be accepted I'd know a splendid way to get some awesome polarbear images ;) I don't want to start a whole discussion here...and I just wanted to say that I really appreciate the honesty about the bait being used.

[Glenn Bartley]

Awesome image Marc! I have no problems with baiting as long as it is not repeatedly done with the same individual so that they get habituated (as has been the case I believe with the Hawk Owl in Ontario). Tossing out one or two mice and then leaving the bird to his business is likely ok. Its the same as using tapes - used judiciously it can be a great technique. But when the photographer starts to put his/her own desires over the well being of the bird then it becomes a problem. Just my 2c.

[Len Maltese]

Sweet image. Those eyes pull you right in. Congrats.

[Ed Prete]

Excellent eyes. I think cropping some from the bottom would strengthen this a bit, and bring us more into his/her world. I'd also consider cloning that leaf (lower left quarter area) or whatever that is out, however that might even be taken care of all depending upon how much you cropped from the bottom. Nice job. It can be very exciting.

[Chris Davidson]

An absolute Killer image, in many ways,Marc!
This image would most likely be a dream image for almost any
of us, Super Shot.
Thanks for posting the behind the scenes information.
I personally feel that photo ethics should be discused in a different thread!

[Martin Dyer]

Re. the baiting - was this done with live or dead prey?

To me, it is not clear and thereby hangs the whole ethical argument.

WRT the image - it is stunning and the only couple of (extremely minor) nits have been covered

Unfortunately it is a long way for me to travel to find such beautiful creatures in their native environment

Cheers

Martin

[Dobromir Dobrinov]

Perfect timing,exposure and detail.Great job!!!

[Jim Neiger]

Great capture, Marc and welcome to BPN! I love the action here and the position of the Owl with the curled wing tips is awesome. The eyes are mesmerizing. My only nit to this otherwise fantastic image is the color of the mouse. I'm not against baiting, but I wish the mouse was a natural color instead of the white lab mouse variety. Do you have the frame just before he snatched the mouse?

[Marc Latrémouille]

Great capture, Marc and welcome to BPN! I love the action here and the position of the Owl with the curled wing tips is awesome. The eyes are mesmerizing. My only nit to this otherwise fantastic image is the color of the mouse. I'm not against baiting, but I wish the mouse was a natural color instead of the white lab mouse variety. Do you have the frame just before he snatched the mouse?

Thanks Jim,

What you're seeing is are owl's white furry talons. A dark colured rat was used in this capture.

Thanks again for the feedback!

Marc

[Marc Latrémouille]

Once you locate the owl, all you have to do is to make sure the "live" bait can be seen by the owl. You can be a football field away and the owl will see it (dark bait works best to contrast against snow...). It's also best to back away far from the live bait once you drop it on the snow (and far away from the road and any potential danger to the owl...The safety of the owl comes first). If the live bait moves close to the road go back and relocate the bait accordingly.

Make sure you understand your subject before attempting this. Being familiar with your subject is key.

Marc

[Mike Lentz]

Frame it!!

[Jody Melanson]

This is outstanding! I love the look and how the snow seems to be exploding upwards under him! Wow. Welcome to BPN my friend. Looking forward to more spectacular post from you. Nits are already covered...

[DanWalters]

Great shot! Love the action and the yelow eyes really jump out.

[Nikolay Staykov - shotlandetsa]

"I've been dreaming of such a shot ever since I got interested in birds" - me to!!! :)

OMG! Really spectacular image!!! This is a superb lens! I know it from my background experience.

[Hillebrand Breuker]

Terrific image. I really like it a lot. Maybe a little from the bottom ta make it a stronger composition, but that's all.

[Eric Wikander]

Wow Marc, what a great capture. I thing the best part is the eyes!

[Robert La Follette]

Marc,

This is IMHO the BEST Snowy I think I have ever seen. The hard work and planning really paid off.

-robert.

[Howard Burkert]

I looked at this image earlier today and didn't comment at that time. However it was one of the images that stayed with me all day! So I had to find it and tell you, it is just a awesome image. Thanks for sharing it!!

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

I really like the action and the fantastic yellow eyes!!!

[Stephen Stephen]

Great exposure and action in this image Marc.