The Art of Discovering Owls: A Photography Story
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- Опубликовано: 3 июл 2024
- Hey guys, I know it's been a while again, but you know where I've been... somewhere in the forest! The eastern screech owls have been very busy asserting their territories and calling for mates. Due to the sensitivity of this time for them, I've decided to share as little as possible and to stop visiting the area for a while. But don't worry, we have other owls to look for! So join me in this episode where I share a few tips and my journey to photograph the Barred Owl as well as some other surprises along the way.
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Time stamps:
00:00 - The Eastern Screech Intro
01:02 - How I Find Owls
02:51 - Putting Tip #1 To The Test! (Barred Owl)
05:19 - It Feels Like Spring! (Exploring the woods)
06:39 - A Surprise Discovery (Coopers Hawk)
08:42 - A New Day and Another Surprise.
10:21 - A Barred Owl and a Coopers Hawk!
13:41 - Another Adventure Comes to a Close.
Regarding the Barred Owl encounter at 5:00 - There have been a few comments, and I want to address this. I chose to cut a portion where I talked about the hiker flushing the owl, aiming to maintain the video's flow as I felt there was already sufficient talking. In hindsight, I recognize the need for a full explanation. I want to be clear: I do not endorse unethical wildlife practices, such as feeding wild animals or intentionally flushing birds of prey for a photo.
Here's what happened: I saw the individual begin to cross the stream; they were simply enjoying their hike, not paying attention to their surroundings. Most people don't expect to come across an Owl face to face in an urban park. Unfortunately, these things happen from time to time. I don't know that it could have been avoided; if I tried to call over to them, that may have had the same results.
Perhaps I should have removed the flight shot altogether, but at the same time, this does showcase the struggles for urban wildlife. Moving forward, I will continue to strive to showcase ethical wildlife photography practices, ensuring that my work contributes positively to the awareness and appreciation of our natural world.
Been Living in Rural parts of eastern Ontario I've been fortunate to experience the life of several owls in my area... And really appreciate your non evasive approach to photography. ❤ And I recognize many of those beautiful trails you've been on through many of your videos... Keep it up😉.. We need more Canadian content.
Owl was a paid actor
Holy! 1/4s at 600mm?! Insane! Great work!
The owl was very still, so a tripod and a delayed shutter did the trick! Thanks for commenting.
This video is fantastic!!! I absolutely love the visuals! Maybe you already have one but i would love to see a video on how you edit and compose because your images are so mesmerizing to look at even though there is sticks cutting through the subject or the forest is very crowded! Not many photographers could make those images work but somehow you do and it’s incredible!
I haven’t made one, but perhaps I will in the future. Sometimes it’s tough to avoid the busyness of the forest, and I could remove a lot of that busyness with removal tools. However, I enjoy sharing the real environments of these animals. So, my go-to strategy involves a lot of masking to draw light and attention to the subject while still attempting to keep things real. Thanks for commenting, I really appreciate it!
@@CurtisSnapshot thats SO cool and very clever!!! That approach is so unique and really refreshing!
Well done on creating a good video! There seems to be something quite magical about owls.
Thank you, I really appreciate it!
What a nice video. You capture the best moments for this research of the owl. You music and your comments are so good. Thank again Curtis for your work
Thank you very much!
Your channel is fantastic and this was a great video. One of the things I like about your videos is that you always sound like you're enjoying the whole thing. Some folks sound like they're lacking in any emotional response to the cool stuff they shot! Keep up the great work Curtis ❤
Thank you so much for your kind words! Truly, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't absolutely love it. Sure, there are tough days, especially when it comes to finding wildlife, but those moments of the encounter make everything worth it. I thrive on the challenge and it’s great to know that my enjoyment shines through in the videos.
I feel so relaxed watching your videos 😌❤️🩹
That’s really great to hear. Thank you for commenting, I really appreciate it!
Very well done all the way around. You have a talent for both video and still. I love you using the word “adventure” as for me that’s what it is each time I venture into the woods. Generally with my camera!
Thanks a lot! I totally agree, every walk in the woods is an adventure, there’s always something new to discover if you keep an open mind.
Great finds, appreciate the GoPro pov
Thank you!
Beautiful captures!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
Super video Curtis. Nice to see your channel growing.
The channel's growth has been very exciting recently! I really appreciate you sticking around for so long, thanks for commenting.
Thank you for this video. I was once blessed with the commotion of crows, that I had to look outside and up high on the doug fir tree in my backyard, there roosts a Barred Owl. I recently just got first entry level camera, A6400 + Tamron 18-300mm lens and I will be practicing with in the backyard a bit.
Nature is truly amazing! Congratulations on your new setup, I hope you capture lots of great images. Thanks for commenting, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
great video
Thank you!
Beautiful video!!! I love the story telling.
Thank you, I’m really glad you enjoyed the video!
Curtis is the best 🎉
Thank you! 😊
Awesome video! I’ve only seen one barred owl yet and it was so cool. Also that hawk bugging the owl was a sharp shinned hawk. Cooper’s hawks make different noises. Still really cool
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I'm super excited I was able to photograph a new species of hawk, without evening knowing haha.
I'll remember to keep the sound it made in mind. Because identifying the coopers and sharp shinned through feathers alone seemed pretty difficult.
Love it!
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
Top notch video. I love taking pictures with my Canon Power Shot SX540hs 50X zoom camera. ❤❤❤❤ Thanks for sharing your video. ❤❤❤❤
Thank you! I'm really glad you enjoyed the video. Those PowerShot cameras are definitely versatile. Must be fun to shoot with!
Awesome discovery! Owls are on my wishlist. I’ve been able to get bald eagles and red tail hawks around my home. You’ve inspired me to push on. My channel is evolving from hiking & backpacking to outdoor photography and video. Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad you enjoyed the video! Good-luck with your photography adventures!
Fantastic video, I love owls and you took wonderful photos!
Thank you very much! I have been really fortunate with owls this year and there’s been alot of learning involved.
Had to chuckle when you looked down and missed the take off. That's never happened to me....right 🙂 Awesome shots!!!
Ha, glad it gave you a chuckle! I really wish I caught the full scene, because I really was setup and dedicated to capture the hawk in flight, the hawk leaned forward, lifted its tail feathers, I prepared for the shot! Annnnnnd it pooped. After a quick laugh at myself and that moment I hit record on my GoPro only to now miss the real in flight shot.
Thanks for commenting, I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
It's exactly how you describe it... I remember when I saw my first tawny owl, it was an incredible feeling.
I’m glad it resonated with you! Thank you for commenting.
Nice channel!
Have a good nature ; )
Greets from Poland.
Thank you very much! It's amazing reaching people across the world.
Absolutely fabulous video. A lot of time put in and a great job!
Thank you, I really appreciate it!
As a big fan of owls, I loved this video! Subscribed 🦉
Thank you very much, glad to have you here!
Enjoyed this very much! Nice work in creating and editing the video. Even though this is not intended to be a full instructional on how to find owls, I did find it helpful - for instance, the tip on paying attention to what the other birds are doing. Also helpful in the sense that it encourages me to have patience and get out there and keep trying!
I'm thrilled to hear you found the video and some of the tips helpful! Like you, I'm still learning and exploring, but I wanted to share what has worked for me so far. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement, keep exploring and good luck on your own adventures.
Hey Curtis, loved this video and your channel and have subscribed. Have just recently started my own channel around bird photography and I can already see how you make your content flow so smoothly from start to finish, really inspiring!!
Thank you so much, it’s great to hear I’m inspiring fellow birders like yourself, good luck on your RUclips journey!
Just came across your channel! Really love your storytelling. Looking forward to catching up on all of your content! 👍
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoy the other videos as much as this one.
Thank you for sharing!
I’m glad you enjoyed!
This is incredible Curtis! :) Wow, you are such a great storyteller.
Thank you!! That means a lot, I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
Great video. Thanks…I enjoyed watching. As an added bit of information, the “birch“ tree (at about10 minutes) with the screech owl in a cavity looked to actually be an aspen.
Thanks for watching, I’m glad you enjoyed the video! I appreciate the added information about the tree species, I can’t say I have much knowledge on plants, but I’ll keep an open mind to learning!
Really enjoying your videos man, keep it up!
Thank you, I really appreciate it!
Great video! I just found my first great horned last night after searching for a few days
That’s amazing, must have been a beautiful encounter. Thank you for commenting!
@@CurtisSnapshot absolutely! I subscribed and followed you on Instagram too!
Just discovered a Northern Pigmy Owl or maybe a Western Screech in the cherry tree on my neighbors property near my apricot tree. I'm so delighted.
Amazing, congratulations on the discovery! Hopefully you have a chance to observe the owl a bit further. Happy owling!
Amazing video. Great footage and info.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed!
wow incredible video once again curtis, i have the exact same camera setup as you too i have the sony 200-600mm lens with sony a7iv
Awesome to hear we're using the same setup, It's such a versatile combo for capturing wildlife!
Great Job man!
Thank you, much appreciated!
Very nicely made! Suscribed!
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Cool video catching the sharp shinned hawk going after the barred owl.
Was that what it was? Cool! I just saw a post about the differences between a coopers and a sharp shinned hawk, as they can be pretty similar. I’ll have to look further into it for next time.
Thanks for commenting, glad you enjoyed.
@@CurtisSnapshot I thought you meant to say that instead of Merlin. The Cooper's Hawk and sharp shinned hawk are very similar and easy to mix up.
I mix up hawks a lot, as I don't usually have too many opportunities to photograph them, which is why I haven't put a lot of research into them yet.
Anyways I thought it was a coopers hawk, I did say merlin by mistake haha@@garywise38
Great work and luck finding owls. Awesome video. What model of tripod did you use? Looking for a small unit like that. Keep the videos coming they are well done Curtis.
It looks like the exact model I'm using has been replaced "K&F Concept: TM2515M1". There's a link to the new model in my description. I've had mine for 3 years now, it's starting to wear down a bit. I have to tighten up various screws that keep it together. But it was a much cheaper price for me at the time and it has worked well.
chimping gets us all, I used to be so bad that now I turn my display off, I only use it when shooting video or when on a tripod.
That one moment with the Cooper’s hawk really got me, I thought I caught a photo of it spreading its wings, I really shouldn’t have looked haha.
(I had to look up chimping, I hadn’t heard it before). Thanks for commenting!
@@CurtisSnapshot I recently heard of the word because I was birding with a couple other random people in a well-known owling spot and someone did that as soon as the owl took off missing a swooping shot.
Which app youre using for the voice of the birds?
The full name in the App Store is: "Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab". It's an incredibly useful tool for learning about birds in your region. It can live record birds and tell you what you're hearing, or if you have a photo of a bird you can import it and it tells you what it is! It's how I have been learning everything on the go while Im out taking photos.
I love your video and the music is great! BTW. What park is it? Cheers from Toronto!
Thank you so much! I have chosen not to publicly share the location of this park. It's quite small and can't handle additional foot traffic. However, Trans-Canada trails offer great opportunities to cover a lot of distance on bike and explore different kinds of eco-systems. I appreciate your comment and I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers!
What's with flushing that barred owl? Who was that guy? Seems like an odd place to randomly be?
I was torn between explaining what happened there and keeping the video flowing. Turns out, he's a really nice guy who helps run a local organization dedicated to keeping this park clean-an ongoing struggle due to kids partying and homeless people building encampments.
Anyway, as he was crossing that small stream with his head down, the next thing he knew, an owl was taking off a metre away from his face! He was quite surprised and apologized for scaring it.
@CurtisSnapshot Ha! What are the odds? It kinda looked like he was going for the owl on purpose which made me wonder why.
Nice vid. New subscribe from me
5:12 ...... Man its really not okay to flush owls on purpose like that. I was enjoying ur video but you're giving ppl the wrong Idea to think that its okay to harass owls like that...
It wasn’t my intentions for it to appear that way. In no way am I purposely promoting any unethical wildlife photography. So I really appreciate your concern and the comment.
What actually happened, was this guy was making his way through the woods and as he was crossing the small stream, he had his head down, next thing he knows the owls taking off less than a meter away from him.
I chatted with him after the fact and he was actually really nice! He apologized for scaring the owl off like that (flushing). Anyways these things happen in urban parks, I do my very best to approach every owl in an ethical manner and hope that comes across in the videos I create. Thanks again!