Bold contrast

When you first photograph a beautiful bird species, you end up liking so much of what is shot. After a while, though, you get more particular. You start looking for certain shapes in the wings, a precise way the head is turned, and a special way the light strikes the subject. All of these came together for me in this capture of a female snowy owl. I really like the way the wings are spread, the side lighting on the face is beautiful, and the way the head is turned back over one of its wings is compelling. I replaced the background with a dark stand of conifers so the owl really popped with striking contrast. My settings for the bird image were 1/3200, f/11, and auto ISO which turned out to be 1250. Notice how essential the fast shutter is to the success of pictures like this. With the wings tack sharp, we can see and appreciate all the amazing detail in the bird.