The golden hour is that precious time, just after sunrise or just before sunset, when white takes on the aura of precious metals. It is a time when all things are possible in photography. It is a magical time when all things photographed seem more glorious, a time when darks are richer, and lights are warmer. Unfortunately, like in economics, it seems that inflation must have taken place somewhere between when the phrase was coined and the present day. I have rarely found the golden hour to be an hour at all! At times it can be as short as 10 or 15 minutes. It can all be explained by physics, refraction, and the altitude of the sun, but somehow that only explains the quality and duration of the light, and not the magic of the hour. For wildlife photographers, it is a combined effect, since wild creatures tend to be most active in the minutes surrounding the arrival and the departure of the day. For this snowy owl it means that the bright overhead sunlight does not make him squint, and we get a good look at those beautiful eyes, for which he is known. I love the golden hour. It is a time when all the world seems more pristine.
Tags: Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus white owl owl bird birds of prey birding nature wildlife wildlife photography Edwin B Forsythe NWR Oceanville New Jersey Holgate Barnegat Daniel A D'Auria MD Children's Wildlife Books by Daniel A D'Auria MD DrDADBooks.com December2013 Snowy owl invasion snowy owl irruption 'December2014, January2015
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With a fleeting glance, a snowy owl circles overhead. Our irregular winter visitors are the largest owls, by weight, in North America. Even so, one can see just how thin and translucent his wings really are. On this cloudy morning, available light allows us to see the distant wing through the closest. Nature is an amazing engineer.
Even with 500 - 600 mm lenses, these birds can be difficult to photograph. Like most raptors, they prefer a "jealous sky," free of humans and other predators. I have seen and heard of many who would attempt to fill the frame of their iPhones or cameras, equipped with smaller lenses. In doing so, we only scare these birds off. The constant pestering can potentially be harmful, and also makes it difficult for other visitors to enjoy seeing them. Try to be respectful of nature and fellow visitors. #iLoveWildife #iLoveNature #iLoveBirds #Wildlifephotography in #NewJersey #Nature in #America #USA #SnowyOwls #DrDADBooks #Canon #Bringit #WildlifeConservation #Photography #Picoftheday #Photooftheday
Tags: Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus white owl owl bird birds of prey birding nature wildlife wildlife photography Edwin B Forsythe NWR Oceanville New Jersey Holgate Barnegat Daniel A D'Auria MD Children's Wildlife Books by Daniel A D'Auria MD DrDADBooks.com December2013 Snowy owl invasion snowy owl irruption 'December2014, January2015
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A young, possibly female, snowy owl perches along the New Jersey shoreline as the sun rises slowly on a chilly winter morning. Snowy owls, our visitors from the north, all have a face full of white feathers. Males tend to be almost completely white, with some dark mottling. Females tend to have more mottled dark feathers, and younger owls have some of the more distinct mottling of all.
Tolerance of humans is another issue, altogether. Some owls, like this one, will tolerate being approached slowly. When I left this owl it was still perched on the same branch, and I was able to return sometime later for some photographs taken at a slightly different angle. Other birds will fly off at any sight of humans, sometimes even hundreds of yards away. They are welcome and sought after winter visitors to the New Jersey shoreline. #ILoveNature #ILoveWildlife #WildlifePhotography in #NewJersey #WildlifeConservation #Nature in #America #USA #SnowyOwls #Canon #Bringit #DrDADBooks #Photography #Picoftheday #Photooftheday
Tags: Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus white owl owl bird birds of prey birding nature wildlife wildlife photography Edwin B Forsythe NWR Oceanville New Jersey Holgate Barnegat Daniel A D'Auria MD Children's Wildlife Books by Daniel A D'Auria MD DrDADBooks.com December2013 Snowy owl invasion snowy owl irruption 'December2014
© All Rights Reserved