Getting The Shot - Great Gray Inspired
Great gray owl descending from the forest for an important message
Some encounters feel like the forest pauses.
This Great Gray Owl appeared out of the winter shadows after a long, quiet wait. One moment the plain was empty, the next he rose from the tree line ahead of me and perched in a tree behind me in absolute stillness, wrapped in soft light and frost.
No theatrics. No chase. Just the calm presence that only a seasoned hunter carries.
Great Grays are masters of patience. They listen, calculate, and only move when the moment is right. That morning, it felt like every creature around him played a part. The chickadees’ frantic dee-dee-dee calls, the ravens lifting off in a rush, even the deer sprinting across the open field, all tiny signals of a shift happening in the forest.
I had been waiting since well before sunrise, huddled against the wind and snow, watching and listening. After the commotion settled, he came gliding in low, landing on a perch just a few feet from me. He looked my way for a moment, fully aware of my presence, then turned his attention back to the hunt.
Then came the leap.
A silent arc into the field.
A clean strike.
Breakfast secured.
He flew to the post right in front of me. Undisturbed by my silent and still presence.
He ate, regrouped for a few seconds, maybe a quick minute and went out for another hunt in the field. He returned to the same perch moments later, as if weighing his next move or simply taking in the rising light. I stayed still, letting him decide the rhythm. After another hunt, he drifted back toward the forest.
Not hiding, not fleeing, just continuing the business of being an owl.
These are the moments worth waiting for. The ones that remind you how much unfolds when you slow down and let the landscape reveal itself on its own time.
Locals later told me stories about past owls in this area, birds that eventually abandoned the site after crowds of photographers surrounded them day and night. Engines running. People getting too close. Hunting disrupted. Peace gone. It stayed with me. The difference between witnessing wildlife and overwhelming it can be a matter of feet, noise, or intention.
This owl, at least for now, still has peace here. And I hope it stays that way.
All images are original and Copyrighted by the author. Taken with Nikon Z8 - 180-600mm lens at 600 zoom ISO: between 3200 and 10,000, shutter between 500-1250 and F-stop at 6.3. All images edited using Lightroom Classic to crop, and adjust light and color.
A Word About Ethical Wildlife Photography
I want to share something important, not as a lecture, but as an encouragement to everyone who loves these encounters as much as I do.
Wildlife isn’t here for us. They’re here to survive.
When we step into their world, the best thing we can offer them is space.
I spend countless hours outside: observing, learning patterns, missing shots, and coming home with empty memory cards more often than not. That’s part of the process. That patience is what makes the rare moments meaningful.
A few reminders for anyone who cares about photographing wildlife responsibly:
• Silence and distance matter.
Owls rely on sound to hunt. Engines, loud voices, or playback noises can literally cost them a meal, or even their lives.
• If an animal changes its behavior because of you, you’re too close.
Turning away, shifting deeper into the forest, pausing a hunt, are all signs of discomfort, not invitations.
• Curiosity over intrusion.
Learning their habits, listening to the forest, and understanding the cues from other species will get you far more rewarding encounters than chasing and attempting to bait, “call,” or trick them ever will.
• There are no guaranteed shots.
Ethical guides and photographers will always tell you this. That uncertainty is part of the joy. I’ve paid thousands on trips and walked away with either a single shot or just one. I do not regret a single moment or penny. I’ve learned about the species more than I could have through any YouTube channel.
• Respect is the real skill.
Anyone can click a shutter. Not everyone can read the land, breathe with the moment, and let the animal lead.
These creatures, whether owls, eagles, orcas, moose, foxes, or even salamanders, are part of a larger story. They deserve time, connection, protection, and our willingness to meet them on their terms. They have stories to tell us, we must listen. We must listen, learn and share their stories without making it about any one of us or any person.
If we take the time to connect with them, learn their behavior, and even try to behave like them, we connect back to our own humanity. We find patience. We find empathy. We find humanity.
The best wildlife and conservation photographers (and film-makers) remove themselves from the scene. They don’t make the encounter about them, it’s always about the wildlife.
If you’re here because you care about these creatures and want to see the wild through a more respectful lens, you’re in the right place. Let’s build a community that chooses patience, intention, and empathy over disturbance and clout.
The wild will always reward the ones who honor it.
