Great Grey Owls LOVERS

Happy Valentine's Day

This image was made in Ontario, Canada, on January 26, 2005. I have a series of about 80 images that I kept from this incredible moment in a field behind a water treatment plant in Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada. Witnessing the affection, vocalizations, and gestures these two Great Grey Owls performed was incredibly touching and unforgettable!

Great Grey Owls LOVERS (Strix nebulosa, Chouette Lapone, GGOW) Ontario, Canada January 26, 2005. © Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon 1D Mark II with Canon 100-400 zoom lens @120mm. ISO 250 f/6.3 @ 1/1,600s.

Snowy Owls: They're back!

One of three frames I made during my brief encounter with this beauty while cruising the backroads looking for ….. owls :) Only two spots are left for my winter Snowy Owl Workshops in January.

Snowy Owl in flight (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des Neiges, SNOW) from my Winter Snowy Owl Photo Tour in Canada. Image Copyright 2022 ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Sony Alpha a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens. ISO 5,000 @ 1/5,000s f/4. Full frame image.

Snowy Owl SOLITUDE

A Snowy Owl from last winter’s WINTER OWL WORKSHOPS. Allowing for a generous negative space adds definition to your subject, and it reduces the negative impact of a busy composition by acting as a buffer, an area in which the eye is drawn back toward the subject.

Snowy Owl Dorsal View

Q: Hi Chris, I have been told a few times by other photographers that I should throw away any picture that does not include both eyes. Do you follow this rule?

-James Bauer

A: Hi James, Absolutely not! While it is rare for me to keep an image where you can’t see at least one eye, it does happen. The dorsal view of the Snowy Owl here is a good example of when that works. Browse through the images in this blog and you will see many images with just one eye visible to the viewer.

As for what to throw away, once you have deleted any images that are out of focus, or obvious immediate failures, it is up to you what to keep. We all have different tastes and storage is cheap these days. Keep the images that you like - smile!