One spring, we spent our days exploring our own backyard and getting outdoors as much as we could.
One morning as we were enjoying a coffee on our back deck, a barred owl appeared from the depths of the forest and perched on a tree close by!
We weren’t expecting that, so we ran into the house to grab the camera!
Of course, my battery was almost dead, and the memory card was nearly full. I may have cursed at this point, since on our workshops we teach other photographers to “always be prepared!”
Has this happened to you before? Have you missed the shot because your camera was turned off, or you had the wrong settings dialled in, or no memory card or dead battery? I think you’ll always remember the one that got away, and it’ll haunt you!
After switching my battery and memory card, I came back outside. The barred owl slowly ventured deeper into the forest. However, we were lucky enough to follow it with our long lenses.
The light was perfect as it was early morning, and the sun was starting to awaken our surroundings. The owl found a cluster of trees and stayed within the same area for about 15 minutes. It was almost as if it was posing and playing for us.
It was a special moment to witness and even more awakening than our coffee!
If you live near a mature forest, listen for one at dusk. The barred owl’s call sounds like “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?”, and they sometimes call during the day too.
Want to be ready when your moment comes? Join us on an Algonquin Park photography workshop, or see the gear we carry in What Camera Do You Use?.
