Originally Published May 6th, 2019
I’ve been doing wildlife photography for over three years now, and recently I’ve been going through my older photos to transfer them to discs and store them off of my hard drive. It’s crazy to see how my photography skills have changed and to find hidden gems that I never published before. This photo is one of those hidden gems.
I love the sharp focus on the eye and the detail in the feathers surrounding it. The evergreen needles cocoon it and show the natural environment where it roosted. I think I passed it over before because the owl is facing away from the camera and you cannot fully see it. Now I like it for those same reasons.
It is astounding to look back and see how my tastes and post-processing skills have changed. While we appreciate where we have been, we must always look forward.
At the end of October, Northern Saw-whet Owls will begin migrating to Iowa again, and I will be on the hunt for more of these tiny beauties.
