The winter of 2013-14 was a record
year for snowy owls in New England. More owls were seen in
Massachusetts than had ever been seen before. It seemed that they
were everywhere.
No one is exactly sure why the
irruption occurred. The prevailing wisdom is that there was a
large increase in the lemming population of eastern Canada. This
strong food source caused the owls to breed in high numbers. One
owl’s nest was reported to have more than seventy lemmings stacked in a ring
around a few unhatched eggs. It was obvious that those parent
owls would be able to feed their young and ensure their survival.
It is believed that as winter set in, the lemming population dropped due to
predation. This in turn caused all of the young owls to head to
warmer climates in search of food. Many of them came to New
England.
I have been intrigued by snowy owls
for many years. Their elusive nature and beauty are irresistible to
this photographer. The challenge of making a great image of
snowy owls continues to engage me.
During the winter of 2013-14, I had
seen so many owls that I had become very discerning about which owls I would
photograph. I had specific images in mind. At the
outset of the winter, I had not seen a darkly barred snowy owl before and I was
very excited to photograph them. The dark bars or spots on their
feathers imply that the owls are either female or very young or perhaps
both. With so many young darkly barred owls arriving in New
England, it became a challenge to find an owl that was mostly white in
coloration.
In late February, I was
photographing a darkly barred owl resting in a tangle of thorns.
The owl had settled down for a long winter’s nap and had not stirred for more
than two hours. Then a jogger came by and told me that there was a
completely white snowy owl nearby. The heavily barred owl I
was watching was unlikely to move for a very long time, so I decided to look
for the white owl.
After a brief search, I was
delighted to spot a small, but beautiful, mostly white snowy owl perched on a
pine fence pole. Based on its size and coloration, I assumed that
it was a male owl. There is no way to tell the sex of an owl for
sure without capturing it. Male owls are typically smaller
and paler than the females, but this is not always true. As I
photographed this stunning owl, it flew from its perch and landed on a nearby
snow covered dune. The more natural setting was very appealing and
I was thrilled to create some excellent images.
This owl was on the
prowl. It was very active, constantly moving around. At
one point it scooped snow with its beak, presumably for a chilly winter
drink. Within a few minutes the owl flew further away, but it had
made my day!
To photograph this owl, I used a
600mm f4 lens and a Nikon D 7000 with a 1.5 crop sensor. This
combination effectively functions as a 900mm f4 lens! This
allowed me to keep a safe distance from the owl (more than 50 feet) and still
make sharp and close images, without disturbing the owl.
It is my goal as a photographer to
make great images. However, when photographing wildlife, I make
sure that I keep the animal’s well-being as my first priority.
Having the right equipment is critical. Snowy owls need their
space. Keeping 50 -100 feet away from an owl requires a minimum
of a 300mm lens on a crop sensor. That is for a distant
scenic shot like the image below. To make great close-up images,
longer lenses are required.
In addition to having a great lens
and camera, you will also need a sturdy tripod. To handle the load
of my Nikon 600mm f4 and my d7000, a little more than 12 pounds of gear, I use
the Manfrotto 055 Aluminum 3-Section Tripod with
Horizontal Column. This tripod has a great combination of excellent
support and affordability. It supports more than 18 pounds of gear
and it is very easy to use! Hunt’s is currently
offering a 10% discount on this tripod to my workshop students.
Please visit this link to receive the discount http://www.huntsphotoandvideo.com/detail_page.cfm?productid=MT055XPRO3&sp=jyEwv
Approaching a snowy owl is tricky
business. Too fast, too tall, too excited, too close translates to stressed
owls and missed photo opportunities.
All of us have our own comfort
levels. Owls are no different. Imagine how comfortable you might be if you had
a member of the paparazzi aiming his camera at you. If he is far away, you
might not be bothered by the intrusion. But imagine him rushing at you, firing
away. How close will you allow him to get before you either confront him or run
away?
Now imagine that you are sunbathing
on the beach. Then 5 photographers quietly crawl towards you on their stomachs,
until they are 50 feet to your left. They keep snapping your photo, but they
aren't really bothering you too much. Still, its kind of creepy right?
The 5 photographers spend over an
hour, firing multiple machine gun like shots each time you make the slightest
movement. Then 7 more photographers arrive on your right, shouting and pointing
and running right at you. Are you still feeling comfortable?
Most of us would have packed up our
beach towel and picnic basket as soon as the first group of photographers tried
to sneak up on us. A few of us might have called the police and the rest might
actually enjoy having their picture taken.
So how do we get close to a snowy
owl without scaring it away? Here are some tips:
1. Stay low. Snowy owls tend to stay
relatively close to the ground, but they do like to be higher up than the rest
of the creatures in their neighborhood. Crouch down until you are approximately
150-200 feet away from the owl. Then sit on your bum to slowly go the rest of
the distance. If you can, you might try the good old belly crawl to approach
the owl. At the very least kneel and crawl on all fours.
2. Move slow. The slower you
approach an owl the better. When you come in for a fast landing, the owl has to
quickly decide whether you mean to harm it or not. If you move slowly, this
gives the owl more time to get used to you. In addition to moving slowly, stop
every few feet to make a few images. This allows the owl to hear you taking the
photos and hopefully get used to all of those strange clicking noises.
3. Keep your distance. Owls need
their space. Stay at least 50 feet away from them.
4. Stay quiet. The more noise you
make, the less comfortable the owl will be. Owls have fantastic hearing. While
you think that you are quietly whispering, they are clearly hearing every word.
Even at a great distance.
5. Be patient. Snowy owls often like
to sit in one place for a very long time. Sometimes hours. Eventually the owl
will do something interesting. Just wait for it... In the mean time, please
don't call to the owl or try to flush it to get a flight shot.
6. Do not bait the owls. Do not use
food of any type to attract an owl closer to you. Baiting is bad for the owls.
7. Try to approach the owl with the
sun at your back. This will allow you to be on the "right" side of
the light. This means that the owl will be well lit and not have its face in
shadow and the background will be pleasant rather than harsh, blinding light.
8. Stay out of off limits areas.
Owls will sometimes be in restricted areas. These areas are restricted for a
reason. If the signs clearly say "Do not walk on the dunes", please
don't walk on the dunes. Even if it means missing the shot. Even if no one is
around. It only takes one person to ruin it for everyone.
9. If you follow all of these tips
and you are still not close enough, try adding a 1.4 teleconverter. This
will increase the size of the owl in your frame by 40%. Try using
a high megapixel camera and crop the image closer in post processing.
10. Last, but not least, watch the
owl's behavior. If it seems nervous or agitated, do not approach any closer.
The goal is to be able to view the owl without disturbing it.
I hope you find these tips helpful.
Please keep the owls' safety and comfort as your first priority when
photographing them.
Greg Lessard is professional
photographer. You can see his exhibit “Snowy Owls- Soul of the
Arctic” at the Bridgewater Public Library in November and December.
To read more about photographing snowy owls, visit Greg's blog at
blog.greglessardphotography.com
