Great Grey Owl SNOWFLIGHT (Strix nebulosa, Chouette Lapone) Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1D Mark II, 100-400mm @ 250mm. ISO 640, f/9 @ 1/640s Manual Exposure and manual focus. Full Frame. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE AN IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.
Tips for birds in-flight in the snow
- Stop down, or close the aperture when shooting in snow to maximize the effect of the big snowflakes; use a larger depth-of-field to keep as many snowflakes as possible sharp. I find F/9 works well during heavy snowfalls with large snowflakes.
- Place your subject against the dark background of coniferous trees to help define the snowflakes.
- Use manual focus for more precise results; Most Auto-focus systems focus on the nearest, large snowflakes.
- Leave some breathing room for your subject - you have probably invested a lot of time to get out in that perfect storm; make sure you include it in the image and avoid shooting too tight.
FirstPass Image Editing Software Evolves
I first told you about FirstPass image editing software for the Mac back in November and wanted to pass on the news that a new version is available with tons of new features:
✔ New image information panel
✔ Image information panel now shows image histograms
✔ Image information panel can be activated from image browser using right click menu
✔ Ratings can be applied to multiple files at the same time using right click context menu
✔ Improved memory management and performance
✔ Fix for an issue related to caching optimization
This software has evolved into a fast, feature rich, must-have image editing dream for Mac using photographers! Be sure to purchase your copy before the scheduled price increase on February 1, 2012; it's going up to only $18.99, but you can get your copy for only $9.99 now:
Check out FirstPass in the CANADIAN APPLE STORE HERE
Check out FirstPass in the US APPLE STORE HERE
(remember that cotton traps moisture next to your skin, but synthetics wick moisture away from your skin), followed by a good mid weight fleece 
.
with either 
or 
if it’s really cold.
and 
for the woods (extremely durable and branch resistant), or 
(Really warm and light – perfect for travel).
and add a loose fitting 
(I’ve tried so many winter boots, and there’s nothing like the durability and warmth of my Sorels). 
prevent accidental (and sometimes expensive and damaging) wipeouts.
which never come off my hands. I place 
into the palm of the liner gloves, and when it’s really, really cold, I slip another into the wristband which warms the blood as it travels to my fingers. My choice for outer layer is the 
; be sure to buy a size, or two, larger than normal; this allows you to move your fingers around inside the gloves. The extra room, and fine leather palm of the Mercury Mitts allows me to use most of my camera’s buttons and dials – it takes a little practice, and seems clumsy, but better a little awkward than frozen.
. I often use a 
when it’s really cold to protect my face from the the cold and windchill.
connects external hard drives to the internet so you can easily share and access your files from anywhere. It gives even novice computer users the chance to set up their own cloud server in less than five minutes. 
is a new book written and photographed by wildlife photographer and trial attorney Windle Turley. In the book, Turley captures amazing images in the rarely photographed wintering grounds of the monarch butterfly, in the Transverse Neovolcanic Mountains in Mexico. Granted almost-unprecedented access, Turley documents the final destination of this migration that only takes place every four to five generations with vivid, full-colour photographs. 
