Snowy Skeptic

© Michelle Alton

Snowy Skeptic

Uploaded: February 27, 2014

Description


---
Yesterday, members of the Delaware Valley Photo Friends Meetup group (4 of us) went on an expedition to find and photograph a Snowy Owl in Lancaster County (Amish Country) Pennsylvania. One of our members had been tracking sightings and we set out early in the morning with great hope, but not really expecting to find one.
----
But we DID...almost as soon as we arrived in the neighborhood. We had had a fresh coating of snow during our drive, and everything looked pure and pristine.
----
It turns out that this young male is wearing a GPS tracking device on its back, as part of "Project Snowstorm."
Snowy Owls are really birds of the North, but this year they have "invaded" the Mid-Atlantic states in the U.S.
----
What a thrill it was to see this beautiful bird!
----
January finalists are an impressive collection. Congratulations and Good Luck going forward!
---

Exif: F Number: 11, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 1/1000 seconds, Flash: did not fire, compulsory flash mode, ISO: 100, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 300.00 mm, Model: Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Comments

Reynaldo D. Reyes level-classic February 27, 2014

What a precious shot, and you've nailed it with a smile on its face (or what looks like a smile anyway). Great shot with fantastic comp, it's one in a lifetime perhaps. #1565166

Monnie Ryan February 27, 2014

Just LOVE these birds - we almost trekked over to Erie when we heard they'd infested Presque Isle State Park, but the nasty weather got in the way. You've captured this one beautifully! #10987757

Ujjwal Mukherjee February 27, 2014

I bet it was great excitement! What a beautiful Snowy Owl and capture, Michelle!! #10987853

Tiia Vissak February 28, 2014

a cool find! #10987861

Leslie McLain level-classic February 28, 2014

Terrific capture, Michelle. #10987945

John Connolly February 28, 2014

A beautiful bird and capture Michelle! How lucky can you be!!! #10988298

Dianne Brin level-classic February 28, 2014

How exciting! A fantastic image. #10988457

Cindy Bendush level-classic February 28, 2014

This is one of my favorite birds - My heart would be beating a 1000 times per second for a chance to capture one in the wild. Way to go! #10989038

Terry Cervi level-deluxe March 01, 2014

How lucky you were and what an exciting experience this must have been for you and your group, Michelle!! And what a terrific capture! #10989842

Steven W. Lepak March 02, 2014

Bravo Michelle! Congrats on this sighting. Great capture - keep them coming. Best Regards, Steven #10991195

Jeffrey R. Bange March 02, 2014

Congratulations Michelle on not only getting to see this beautiful Owl but being able to return with a gorgeous photo of him. #10991427

Barbara Waldoch March 02, 2014

It's a beauty, Michelle, what a great find! #10991498

Kirsten Kiki Kjaer March 03, 2014

OHWOW! A Snow Owl. What a lucky encounter and beautiful image, Michelle. #10991812

Emile Abbott level-deluxe March 03, 2014

I have never even seen one much less photographed one. Great capture of white on white, Michelle. #10992226

Lisa J. Boulden level-classic March 11, 2014

Such a wonderful find, Michelle!
Members of my photography club have ventured to Erie, PA to capture these beautiful owls. Maybe, someday, I'll be lucky enough to see one.
Beautifully captured!
~♥~Lisa #10998050

Gerri R. Jones March 15, 2014

Wow...I am reading your comments and it is amazing that you actually found the snowy owl...You got a beautiful picture of him, especially with all the white tones to deal with metering. We had a birding group on one our roads looking for one as well, but the day I was there he had just left. Beautifully taken! #11001219

Austin Rex J. Lobaton January 10, 2015

Beautiful nature and wildlife shot. #11222593

To discuss, first log in or sign up (buttons are at top center of page).

Get Constructive Critiques

Sign up for an interactive online photography course to get critiques on your photos.


 

Did You Know?

Discussions by Category: You can view photo discussions on various themes in the Community > Photo Discussions section of the site.

BetterPhoto Websites: If you see an orange website link directly under the photographer's name, it's totally okay. It's not spam. The reason: BetterPhoto is the one that offers these personal photography websites. We are supporting our clients with those links.

Unavailable EXIF: If there is no other information but 'Unavailable' in the EXIF (meaning no EXIF data exists with the photo), the 'Unavailable' blurb is not displayed. If there is any info, it shows. Many photos have the EXIF stripped out when people modify the image and resave it, before uploading.


 

The following truth is one of the core philosophies of BetterPhoto:

I hear, I forget.
I see, I remember.
I do, I understand.

You learn by doing. Take your next online photography class.


Copyright for this photo belongs solely to Michelle Alton.
Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.
Log in to follow or message this photographer or report this photo.