Feb 23, 2010
Feb 17, 2010
Braving The Cold...With Stephen Oachs
When Stephen Oachs contacted me late 2009 to ask about owl photography in Ontario....I jumped at the chance to show him around and shoot with a photographer that I have admired for years.
It was an interesting week with lots of challenges. I learned many things during his trip:
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1) I've got the worst sense of direction....ever!
2) My GPS unit hates me. For that story...you can read Stephen's story http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenoachs/4312196233/
3) Don't ever tell a coffee-drinker that there's not enough time to stop for his morning coffee. (unless you want him to turn into someone you've seen in a horror flick.)
4) Setting up a bird blind, by the lake, on a windy day, in the worst part of the winter....is NOT a good idea. But it DOES make for some funny memories.
5) Be Flexible. When you get slammed with rain and the Owls are in hiding....go somewhere else. Sometimes when things aren't planned, the best things happen.
6) When someone tells you they don't snore, verify with the person's "better half".
7) When YOU tell someone you don't snore, make sure you take away their iphone or other recording device. It's easy for them to get out of bed, stand over you in the dark and gather "evidence".
8) Keep yourself organized. It's embarrassing when you try to break into your own car to retrieve your keys....and then you find them in a coat pocket.
9) When you're enjoying a nice meal and getting to know your new partner, make sure that you don't leave your headlights on.
10) Make sure you're up to date on your tetanus shot. Photography can be a bloody business ;)
Nature's Best Photography Feature
A big thank you to Charles Freligh from Nature's Best Photography for asking me to do a feature on Saw-Whet Owls for their "Photographers In The Field".
I've been doing lots of Owl Photography this season, and it's something that I'm very passionate about. There's been alot of talk lately about the welfare of Owls in our area and I think the first step in protecting them....is to educate people on the challenges they face and how they can help minimize human interference. Each type of Owl faces different challenges.
A large number of Saw-Whets won't survive their first winter for various reasons: lack of food, weather,human disturbance and predators. To help increase their odds, keep in mind the following:
- They need to conserve their energy during the day.
- If you find one...make as little noise as possible. Let them sleep.
- Owl "hotspots" are visited by lots of people every day. Limit your time with the Owls.
- More than a few people observing an Owl at one time could adversely affect the Owl.
- Don't break branches. This disturbs them and makes them more vunerable to predators.
- Find a good spot to shoot from and don't move around.
- If you accidentally disturb an Owl and flush it from it's roosting tree...do not try and follow it.
- When threatened, they elongate their body in order to appear like a tree branch, often bringing one wing around to the front of their body.
- Leave if you see those signs and behaviour.
- Don't use a flash when it's getting dark. This causes temporary night-blindness and will make them vunerable to predators.
- Consider finding a Raptor Rehab Centre to photograph Saw-Whets. The birds they use in their photo sessions are habituated to humans which reduces the stress on the birds and allows you to photograph them for longer.
Don't Bug The Pug - The Camera Store
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