From Joshua N Wiley

Moonshot No. 2. My 2024 Snow in the Moon retake. A better edit of a second frame. The lighting was very challenging, though awesomely beautiful.

This winter has been different for owls. November and December were a rush for snowy owls in Ohio. January was dead. Maybe they were all hanging out on frozen Lake Erie eating ducks.

Regardless, I treasure all of my moments with the most beautiful birds in the whole wide world, especially when they shine in the moonlight!

12/14/24. Nikon D850, 600 mm, f/11, ISO 1600, 1/200 second. Lake County, Ohio.

  • anon6789OP
    10•15 hours ago

    Moonshot. On Saturday, I was able to observe distant Snowy Owls in a huge treeless “fake tundra” area outside Cleveland in Lake County. Most of the time, the owls were distant dots on the lakeside landscape. But sometimes they would fly closer. The female flew over and I missed it by 20 minutes. The male landed on utility poles twice, quite close to the road. The second time, right after sunset, I was able to line him up with the rising full moon, and so reprise my signature image—using the full moon as a backdrop to highlight uniquely the mystery and rarity of the most beautiful bird in the world! 12/14/24. Nikon D850, 600 mm, f/11, ISO 1000, 1/200 second. Fairport Nursery Road, Lake County, Ohio.

    This was the original edit.

    • Optional
      2•14 hours ago

      I kinda prefer this one. Amazing shot.

      • anon6789OP
        2•14 hours ago

        I like the warmer colors of #2 and the off axis glance.

        I’m glad I went back and found the original though. It’s fun to compare them and interesting how some minor changes make it feel like a very different image,