My name is Carrie Ann, and I have been a professional photographer for over 25 years, working as a full-time staff Newspaper Photojournalist, and as owner of “Shoot for the Moon Images”, both in Rochester, New York. My true passion has always been in the areas of wildlife and nature photography (which I sell to customers in my online store, or as stock images). I have taken hundreds of thousands of photos during my career, and have never experienced a moment like this one in my camera lens!
There was a rare migration of numerous Snowy Owls to our area, sighted at a few different local locations, so on a frigid cold day in December 2013 I headed out with my best friend and fellow photographer to try to find them! We decided to try our luck down at the pier on Lake Ontario where one had been spotted the day before… now WE just had to spot him!
Easier said than done in a mini blizzard with snow on the ground… how does one find a white Owl? BUT… as we walked along, a small white and grey form in the distance caught both our eyes. It was unrecognizable with our own vision… too far away… perhaps just a pile of snow? But the telephoto lens clearly confirmed feathers! So we slowly and cautiously, inch by inch, headed towards the Snowy Owl, who was just sitting there on the concrete, eyes closed, not even watching us. We had those zoom lenses, and I never would want to disturb or upset these wild creatures, so we actually hid behind a low stone wall still really far away from him. But as I was photographing the Snowy Owl on the ground, movement in the sky caught my attention… I looked up to see a SECOND Snowy Owl coming out of nowhere, flying right towards my camera! It was absolutely amazing to see the grace yet power as he circled a few times nearly right over our heads! Not sure if I can ever top this image. I am thrilled that I captured "the shot" of my career! It brought a tear to my eye as I was photographing him, and then again later reflecting on the special moment. It was truly an unexpected, unbelievable and unforgettable day. I am blessed to definitely have been at exactly the right place at exactly the right time and grateful my love of photography and wildlife led me to that once in a lifetime experience.
p.s. you can find this image in my online store here:
http://bit.ly/2O1qi5o
Follow the photographer on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShootfortheMoonImages
More info: bit.ly
Snowy Owl in Flight
