Snowy Owl with prey

[Isaac Grant]

My plan for the day was to photograph this Snowy Owl in the snow. Previously I posted a shot of it landed with this rat. In the field we did not know what it had or was sitting on but thought it was odd that it was sitting with its wings down a bit. Guess it was being territorial about it's dinner. When it flushed from 2 people running up the beach in the snow (!!!) we saw that it was holding a rat. This is the 3rd frame of the series and just as the downstroke of the wings caused it to lift off of the sand. So the plan worked out perfectly I think. Snowy Owl in the snow with naturally caught (not baited) prey. Happy New Year everyone.

1DX ii 500 f4 ii + 1.4x iii, ISO 4000, F5.6, SS 1/2000

[gail bisson]

WOW!!A lot of people have images of snowies with prey but hardly anyone can say that they have this shot UNBAITED.
I love everything about this- the IQ, the clearly visible rat, the fantastic sense of upward motion created by the snow and dirt trail, the POV, the clear BG and finally the snowflakes.
Whites look great and I am OK with wingtip blur.
If I was to be super picky, the only thing that could improve this image is to have both eyes visible.
Ooh...my jealousy bone is throbbing...!
Gail
Happy New Year to you and your family isaac!

[Jim Crosswell]

Excellent image Isaac! I like the eruption of sand coming out of the snow, IQ, prey, exposure, falling snow and composition.

[John Mack]

Very nice. Love the yellow eye on these birds. The snow makes this one as well as the prey.

[Arthur Morris]

You are a sick man; this is killer. And I actually loved the one-eyed look. HH of course?

with love, artie

[Joseph Przybyla]

An image for the ages... right place, right time, right use of the equipment... it all came together for a wonderful image. Thank you for sharing, Isaac.

[Isaac Grant]

Thanks Artie. The camera was tripod mounted. A group of 5 of us were watching the snowy for about 45 minutes while it just sat there. I watched it earlier in the morning get flushed by a jogger and fly into the woods. It did not return for a long time and I had given up looking. I was not happy about not being able to photograph it in the snow. A friend called me and said that he just saw it fly back to exactly where we just were. So I quickly got back to where it was and then watched it for a long time. We were wondering if it was hurt because it had its wings down a bit like it was in pain or struggling. I know now that it was more of a territorial gesture while it protected its yummy rat . I was set completely differently to shoot the owl as it just sat still on the beach in the snow. Bird was sitting on the low side of a little hill near where the beach bends north, just on the other side of a jetty. At almost the last second I saw the 2 people approaching. As fast as I could I upped the ISO and shutter speed to capture the action as I knew it would take off to my left. People were coming from my right. At the same time I moved the camera left a little to give the bird room to fly into and to get the bird as it took off. This is full frame. Have a few shots where I clipped the wings as it took off. I probably had less than 2 seconds to make the changes and get the shot before the bird was gone. This was one case where I was more than happy to have set up the camera the way I did to make changes on the fly. Also where the 14 frames per second of the 1dx ii really pay off.

[Michael Thompson]

awesome capture! Nice job being ready for the moment!

[Glenn Pure]

Remarkable shot, Isaac and the one-eyed HA which draws another look. You've even got bonus snow falling around it. I'm left wondering what the other frames looked like. This one is so good but I'm sure the others are pretty nice too.

[dankearl]

This is really contest worthy, you probably should have saved it...
Just terrific, probably the best Snowy photo I have seen.

[Alex Becker]

Late to the party but this is awesome. I love the falling snow and the dirt flying on the bottom. The prey item is a great addition. This frame just screams action. Would love to get a shot like this one day. TFS

[Geoffrey Montagu]

What a catch for you and the Snowy, Isaac. Great timing and I love the sand kicked up adding beautifully to the action, all this while it's snowing. Well done.

Geoffrey




https://500px.com/geoffreymontagu