Once in a while, of the thousands of shutter clicks of my camera, I experience a moment of deep satisfaction where I know I have captured an image that is truly unique.  In early January 2025 I made a trek to Two Harbors to photograph the owl irruption. Great gray and boreal owls were starting to show up in unprecedented numbers. The primary goal was to see and photograph my first boreal owl (which I did). And I was hopeful the trip would also include an opportunity to photograph great gray owls as well (which it did).  On my first evening, after a long day of driving, and a few mishaps including a hard fall due to untied bootlaces (that’s a story for another day), I turned onto a road I had rarely traveled in years past per the suggestion of a friend. The road curved slightly as it travelled up a steep hill, revealing a beautiful view of Lake Superior in the rearview mirror. As I neared the top of the hill, about a mile inland, I was greeted by none other than a great gray owl, perched roadside on top of a garbage can at the end of a driveway.  I quickly pulled over, grabbed my camera, and began taking images of the owl as it sat calmly less than 30 yards away. I had been up north for just a few hours and was already treated to a boreal owl and a great gray owl. I didn’t think it could get much better.

Then the real fun began. The owl started flying from perch to perch, listening, waiting, and occasionally diving into the tall grass in an attempt to catch small rodents. There was less than an hour until sunset and the evening light was spectacular. The owl seemed game to help me take advantage of the beautiful light, and started moving to different perches in various lighting conditions. At times it was backlit, creating a stunning outline of light around it’s body. Other times it was front lit, showcasing the beautiful color and details of the owl. It never spent more than a minute or two on a perch, and the variety was more than I could have asked for. 

But then I started thinking about flight shots. Rarely have I had good opportunities for flight shots of owls, much less repeated attempts with the same owl. But this evening was the exception to the rule and the owl flew from perch to perch, again alternating between back and front lighting, both producing incredibly different and beautiful results. I started to catch on to its patterns and position myself more strategically. 

There was one moment in particular where the owl chose a specific perch facing me with beautiful backlight creating a rim of sunlight around the owl. I moved into position with an air of confidence that its next maneuver would be to fly directly towards me. I stood there waiting, camera ready, hands freezing as they gripped my metal lens in subzero temps. A minute or two passed, but it felt like an eternity. Then suddenly the owl lifted from its perch, wings spread wide, flying right at me. 

Even when a photographer is ready for a moment like this, they happen so fast. Not to mention how difficult capturing head-on flight shots can be depending on the camera one uses. An incredibly fine-tuned autofocus system is required to keep up with that level of movement as well as an equally capable lens. My camera and lens are quite good - but not great. They’re very capable of capturing stunning images, and very capable of missing shots I wish I could have a second chance on. 

The owl seemed to understand my predicament and instead of flying at me at full speed, it did the most gracious thing it could have done, pausing midair and hovering for a brief second as it scanned the ground below. That pause was just enough to guarantee a sharp image, and I pressed down on the shutter button, firing off as many shutter clicks as possible before the owl flew past me just feet from my head onto a new perch. In that moment I knew I had captured something special. I knew I had captured an image I would cherish for a long time to come. Wings spread wide, golden light touching the tips of its feathers, staring straight ahead, with dark forest greenery in the background.

Below is that image and I experience joy every time I see it. Joy with what I was able to capture. Joy in remembering the adventure and excitement that weekend held. Joy in reflecting on my personal growth as a photographer. This embodies one of those moments when it all comes together.