Snowy Bush Bandit
This Snowy seems to spring from the bushes.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, handheld as usual @ 1/1000, f/11, ISO 400 with no exposure compensation.
Uncropped. Two dust bunnies in sky cloned away. Photoshop automatic colour filter applied.
Gaze Into My Sympathetic Eyes
There is something about the sympathetic eyes of this Snowy as it flies past me.
Canon EOS Mark III with the superb 500 f/4 lens, handheld as usual @ 1/1000, f/14, ISO 400 with a +0.3 exposure compensation.
I have to be content with the bland cold light/colours, but, at least the eyes are open and yellow, despite a slight lack of sharpness in the left one.
Cropped for composition purposes. More than usual amount of snow sparkles cloned away.
You've Found My Hiding Spot
This Snowy seems comfortable standing next to a larger rock. Perhaps a little unusual, because Snowys prefer to perch on a higher location.There is always the possibility of shielding against the wind.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III with the superb 500 f/4 lens, handheld @ 1/800, f/16, ISO 400, with no exposure compensation.
One annoying snow sparkle cloned away. Auto Colour correction applied. Slight Unsharp Mask applied. Of course, cropped for composition purposes.
You can barely make out a bit of snow being blown by the wind just above the large rock.
This Is Getting Serious
This low flight of the Snowy looks like a serious affair.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III witht the superb but heavy 500mm f/4 lens, handheld @ 1/1000, f/14, ISO 400 with a +0.7 exposure compensation.
Cropped for composition purposes, yet still leaving tons of resolution for large-format printing. Remeber, the 5D Mark III is a full-frame sensor camera with huge juicy pixels.
Just some automatic contrast applied, 4-5 lens dust bunnies cloned away and about a dozen snow sparkles also cloned away. No sharpening required this time.
Great Grey Owl - Time to Split the Scene
This Great Grey Owl lunges forward to leave its perch.
From my files. Canon EOS 5D Mark III with the superb but heavy 500mm f/4 lens, handheld @ 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 400 with a +0.3 exposure compensation.
Because the photo was snapped too low, I had to crop away the top half of dead space for composition purposes. A tiny crop on the left side to balance the wing tips.
Photoshop auto colour filter applied, a bit of unsharp mask and a bit more selective shaprning of the bird’s face.
Some annoying snowflakes, similar to that seen under its right wing, cloned away. They were here and there throughout the photo and were distracting. I obviously kept those under the bird’s wing.
Countdown For Takeoff Has Begun
This Snowy is at its apex before the uplifting downswing for takeoff.
Again, from my files. Canon EOS 5D Mark III with the superb 500mm f/4 lens, handheld for better focusing on the bird in movement, @ 1/1000, f/8, ISO 400, with a +1 exposure compensation.
Cropped for composition, Photoshop auto colour filter. Many tiny snow sparklets cloned away. Slight Unsharp Mask filter applied.
Happy New Year 2026!
Feathered Pile Driver Hammering In
Another photo from my extensive file.
This Snowy looks like he/she's going to hammer in the fence post!
One curiosity: The bird's white colour has a warm tint, while the background snow seems a cooler white!
Canon ESO 5D Mark III with the superb 500 F4 lens, handheld @ 1/1000, f/9, ISO 400 with +0.7 exposure compensation. Cropped for composition. Photoshop auto contrast filer applied. Selective sharpening of claws and some head feathers.
Snowy Sentinel on Guard
No, this is not a Guardsman at Buckingham Palace, but a Snowy just checking things out!
From my past files.
Canon ESO 5D Mark III with the superb 500 F4 lens, handheld @ 1/1000, f/13, ISO 400 with +0.7 exposure compensation. Cropped for composition, Photoshop Auto Colour filter applied. Slight sharpening of the bird's face.
As another composition option, I could have also cropped to present a vertical view of just the post and Snowy without the empty field to the left.
I Prefer Not To Ski Downhill
From my files. Canon EOS 5D Mark III with my superb although heavy 500 f4 lens, handheld @ f16, 1/1000, ISO 400 with a +0.3 exposure compensation.
Photoshop Auto Colour filter applied, although the sky could be better. Slight Unsharp Mask filter applied.
Very slight crop for composition purposes. Many lens dust bunnies cloned away from the sky as well as tiny snow reflection sparkles.
No, I'm Not a Snowy Owl!
From my past files. Although Snowy Owls were my preferred subject, I never passed up an good opportunity for other neat species.
Therefore, obviously, this photo will not be included in my Fun With Snowy Owls - Ravissements avec les harfangs gallery. :-)
An example presented here is this Great Grey Owl flying through a slight snowfall, as witnessed by some white background streaks.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III with the superb 500mm f4 lens, handheld @ 1/1000, f7.1, ISO 800 with a +0.7 exposure compensation.
Just three modifications here. Cropped for composition purposes, application of Photoshop's Auto Tone for colour/contrast correction and slight Unsharp Mask filter.
I've Got a Sinking Feeling!
Again from my files. Our Snowy seems to be sinking in the deep snow.
Probably taken in the early winter afternoon around 14h, because the bird isn't casting a long shadow - I can't trust the canera file's time stamp.
It's late enough that the snow's hue is changing colour and the eyes are open - they are usually squinted and shadowed when the sun is high in the sky.
Taken with my then Canon EOS 5D Mark III handheld @ 1/1000, f11, ISO 400 with a +0.7 exposure compensation. Lots of tiny light reflection sparkles cloned out and off course, composition adjusted.
This Is My Mound
Again from my files from several years ago. Snowys have a habit of perching on a rise, even if ever so high. Canon EOS 5D Mark III with the great 500 f/4 lens, handheld @ 1/1000, f6.7, 800 ISO and +1 exposure compensation.
Cropped for composition. A couple of dust bunnies removed.
Errata: I just noticed that this photo was previously posted on my site in the past under a different title. Small difference in composition, but still, a double. Sorry. Mike
I ain't no drone!
Again, from my files almost a decade ago.
Canon 5D Mark III with the fabulous 500 f4 lens handheld @ 1/1000, f14, ISO 400 with plus 0.7 exposure compensation.
Slight crop for composition purposes since with flying birds, the lens is always centred on it.
Several dust bunnies and a few light sparkles cloned away.
I've Got My Eye On You
Again from my past files.
Canon 5D Mark III with my 500mm f4 lens handheld at 1/100, f14, 400 ISO, +0.7 exposure compensation. Cropped for composition with some sky dust-bunnies removed.
Snowy Outreach Program
It has been a while, and it isn't winter yet, but here is another Snowy from my files. Enjoy!
I Will Not Miss!
From my files.
The claws on this Snowy are still closed as the bird approaches the perch during this late-afternoon shot.
Canon 5D Mark III with my 500 f/4 lens handheld @ 1/1000, f/6.3, 400 ISO.
Sunset Sensation
From my files.
Inspired by British wildlife photographer, Andy Rouse, this Snowy was taken just after sunset in the glow of a winter magenta sky.
He was brilliant with his concept of 'Red Five' - photographing five minutes before sunrise/sunset till five minute after sunrise/sunset.
In winter, this tight time-frame gave superb magenta colours especially to the sky and snow.
I would often shoot beyond the five minutes before sunrise or after sunset - easily a good 15 minutes!
Canon 5D Mark III with my 500 f4 lens handheld @ 1/1000, f4, ISO 1250
I Don't Need Skates For This Ice
From my files. A Snowy explodes from its perch on an icy day.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III with my 500mm f4 lens handheld @ 1/1000, f8, 400 ISO.
Photo was taken horizontally, so I cropped to obtain a much nicer vertical view.
I Hope My Wingtips Don't Scrape the Ground
From my files. Later afternoon winter photo with magenta tinging the whites. Cropped for composition because the lens focus is always on the center of the Snowy or other bird when in flight.
My Canon 500 f4 lens was handheld for quicker reaction, as usual then.
A couple of dust bunnies and snow lens glare artefacts cloned away. Smudging brush applied slightly at the top right corner.
How Do You Like My Camo Pattern?
Again from my files. This Snowy shows off it's colours against a matching background as it takes off.
Like ducks or geese, Snowys always take off into the wind. This one looks back to make sure there is no danger from me or my hand-held Canon camera with its 500 F4 lens.
I'm Moving On From Here
Inspired to post an unpublished Snowy photo from my files after viewing a beautiful Snowy photo sent by a good friend.
Late-afternoon photo, with long shadow and snow turning from blue to an eventual magenta colour.
Early morning and late-afternoon are the best times to photograph Snowys with their eyes wide open. The sun is too harsh for their eyes at mid-day, causing squinting.
Small crop for composition purposes. About three annoying tiny snow reflection speckles corrected.
Sympathetic Eyes
Again, another Snowy photo from my past files. The title says it all!
On The Money
This Snowy is hoping that the field post doesn't move before it lands!
Cropped for composition. Bumped up the contrast. Removed some sensor dust bunnies. A bit of sharpening applied.
I like the upturned feather on its right wing!
I Use My Own Patented Springboard!
As usual, the colours are that of a late afternoon winter day, therefore no balancing for whites. There is no white at around 16:00h, just before sunset- lots of magenta, though.
Cropped for composition, because I always center a moving/flying bird in the center of my viewfinder so that my autofocus can follow the bird.
Arise Oh Beautiful One
Another Snowy from my files.
For Snowy take-off photos, you should have the wind to your back, because Snowys take off into the wind - even if it means they must fly towards you at first. Once in flight, they will, of course, deviate to avoid you.
Also, for good lighting of the eyes, you should also have the sun directly to your back. This is especially important if you want the eyes well lit.
In this photo, although the sun was at my back, the Snowy looked off slightly to the side as she took off. Therefore, the sun was not directly in her eyes. This is why one eye is 'shadowed'.
And the Journey Begins
You always have to position yourself with the wind at your back to photograph a Snowy taking off.
The Snowy, like many birds, take off into the wind. Then of course, you also have to be positioned to have the sun at your back to prevent possible unmanageable backlit shots.
Lights - Action - Camera
A cold light with a hint of golden vegetation adds to beauty of the Snowy in movement.
Not Much To Land On
The Snowy had no difficulty perching on this this post.
This Is My Domain
Snowys in flight are my favourite, but you can't deny that a portrait pose is also great!
Cropped for composition. Again, no balancing for whites - at that time of day, there is no pure white.
Nature's F-35
No balancing for whites with this file photo from my past. The light was a late winter setting sun -therefore, not much pure white to be seen :-)
Nape-of-the-Earth Snowy Flight
Another Snowy from my files
31-Jan-2024
Dramatic Light For a Dramatic Snowy
Venturing Into the Warm Golden Light
Another of my many Snowy Owl photos from my files. Good thing I have them, because I stopped bird photography around six years ago due to pain and mobility issues with my knees.
I, of course, did not balance my colours to white with this photo, to preserve the warm light rendering. The golden-coloured vegetation also adds to the warmth of the photo.
The Big Embrace
Here is another from my files from the year 2014. The wingspan of these birds is incredible.
Don't You Dare Follow Me
Another one from my files unpublished, circa 2014.
I have a couple of other "looking over my shoulder while in flight" photos of this type on my site, but they are always a pleasure to look at.
Male Snowy Surprise
Again from my files of several years ago.
The older adult male Snowy Owls tend to turn white in colour, and are a minority in my region.
New Years 2021-2022 - Sweetie Snowy Curiosity
Another of my many Snowy Owl photos from my files from several years ago.
Happy New Years.
A Blast From the Past
It's been about six years since I stopped my bird photography due to bad knees. Here is a Snowy Owl from my files taken about that time with my Canon 5D Mark III.
Delicate Repose on Dom's Rock
Another Snowy photo from my files of several years ago.
Taken with my Canon 5D Mark III handheld with the fantastic 500L f4 lens.
It appears that the Snowy Owl had a strand of dried vegetation caught in her feathers.
The afternoon light was beginning to turn the scene warm, but for this one, I decided to cool it off a bit. It was not late enough for a real golden light.
If I took the photo late in the afternoon with a real golden glow, I would have left it that way.
As I've mentioned before, I ceased bird photography at that time because it was too difficult and painful due to multiple knee surgeries, and of course, age :-)
This pile of rocks bears the name Dom's Rock as a callout to my good friend Dominic (Dom) who first spotted the owl using it as a perch at the time.
Apart from bird photography, Dom is also an avid astronomy photographer.
Salut, Dom.
A Donald Trump Farewell, Snowy-Style
An old file photo for the occasion.
V For Victory - Snowy Owl
Another Snowy Owl from my files. Taken in 2015, just before I stopped my bird photography due to my bum knees.
Fence-Hopping Juvenile Snowy Owl
From my files in the final year of my bird photography days five or so years ago.
Holiday Northern Hawk-Owl
This photo taken on Christmas in 2016. A small branch cloned out just below and to the rear of the bird.
Happy Holidays.
Alert Tree Hugger
Once again, even though I had to give up my bird photo outings several years ago, I still have lots of photos on file to add to my site.
This young Cooper Hawk is checking out for mom or dad for a possible yummy meal delivery.
Only the Shadow Knows
I haven't been out doing bird photography for several years now due to my knee-related mobility problems. But, I do have many Snowy Owl photos that I have on file.
Here is one with a shadow following the bird.
Snowy Owl - Phantom Menace
On a Level Plane - Snowy Owl
Formatted to a 1:2 frame.
Snowy Owl - Rock and Roll
Snowy Owl - Flashback On the Fly
