Snowy Owl Take-Off.

[Daniel Cadieux]

I had a couple of fun days with Loi photographing Snowy Owls last week. The second day we had fantastic light, the first one, as you can see here, was overcast. But it still makes for great photography as can hopefully be evidenced here. Some of the best poses come right at take off as it exerts more energy and wing action to power off the ground or posts.I like this frame for the still visible icy crust on the ground, and dry cornstalks offering hint of winter farmland habitat.

Canon 7D + 500mm f/4, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/2000s., f/7.1, ISO 1600, cropped for composition, cloned out a couple of "misplaced" corn stalks, enhanced the yellow eyes (they tend to get quite subdued in overcast light). Baited.

[John Robinson]

Yet another fine SO shot. Getting quite envious !
Snow certainly puts the icing on with these sorts of shots.
Good stuff.
JohnR

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Dan, lovely, like the look to camera and swooping wings forward, well famed and executed. A lot of people can learn so much from your 7D images, superb work.

Now on a personal note, please can you send a few to the West cost over the next few weeks, would really appreciate anything you can do. Can arrange collection of a few on route if that helps.

TFS
Steve

[Geoffrey Montagu]

Wonderful image, Daniel. Love the full forward extension of wings and of course the head and eyes facing you. The other things I also like are the foreground cornstalks and the very subdued rows of cornstalks in the BG.




Geoffrey

[Tim Harding]

Great angle and eye contact. This wings-forward over-shoulder look is one of my favourite Snowy poses (I've got one coming up:). As always you've nailed the exposure and processing.

[Randy Stout]

Daniel:

Talk about eye contact. Almost like she was going sizing you up for supper.

Great pose, extension, enough details to give some depth to the bg

You can send a few down to Michigan while you are at it!

Cheers

Randy

[Joseph Przybyla]

Lovely, beautiful wing position, perfect head angle with that stare. Love the white on white and the corn stalks are just enough to break up solid snow. Thank you for sharing.

[Bill Dix]

Another wonderful Snowy shot, with great wing position, fabulous eye contact. And the corn stalks make this one a bit different.

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Daniel - great look to camera. Excellent control of the whites as usual. I like the detail that brought out in the snow too.

TFS,
Rachel

[Karl Egressy]

Great pose, excellent eye contact and the corn stalks anchors the bird.

[P-A. Fortin]

Great pose and wing position. The corn stalks are icing on the cake and really set this image apart from other images we normally see with "just" snow on the ground.

[dankearl]

Cool takeoff and Nice FG.
Although I personally am ambivalent about baiting Snowies, where I live the Birders would be enraged over the practice......
You would be lucky if you didn't get your tires slashed.

[P-A. Fortin]

It is the same around here. My guess is that Daniel managed to find one away from the known and common birders' spots.

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Superb flight pose with spectacular eye contact & wing position. Amazing level of detail at ISO 1600! TFS Dan.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Thanks guys! Yes, the great bait debate rages on here every single year too. Most are civil about it, but there is a small very vocal group out here too.

[shane shacaluga]

Very nicely done! Takeoff pose is great and the habitat in the FG adds in my opinion

TFS

[Binu John]

Stunning shot! That pose couldn't be any better. Excellent exposure and eye contact! TFS

[gail bisson]

Great take-off shot. I really like the shape of the vegetation in LLC but would lower the brightness a bit.
Great IQ and exposure and PP work with the snow,
Gail

[Frank Schauf]

Excellent flight pose and sharp details, Daniel.

[William Dickson]

Beautiful capture Dan, Great take off pose. Love how the owl blends in with the BG Very nice, good work

[David Salem]

Man you guys are getting some great snowy frames!! This one is awesome with a great wing position and eye contact and the cornstalks add some nice color to this frame. Very nice Daniel.

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Amazing pose, Dan. Just love the stare. The dried leaves add interest and anchor the image nicely. Superbly done.