Recent trip to Saskatchewan
(click on images to view them full size)
Winter road trip and photograhpy.
A female snowy owl from January 2024 trip standing in the middle of a field covered with hoar frost. (EXIF data 840mm, f13, 1/1600s, +0667EV, ISO640)
There are two things that happened serendipitously within the month of December and I am so grateful for having these experiences. My mother in law and I did a road trip together because I traveled to pick her up with the idea that I’d also get an opportunity to photograph snowy owls as I’ve done in the past (snowy owl blog post and gallery).
I also had an opportunity to meet David DuChemin during his recent talk in Calgary. He is a dynamic speaker and really hit home with some good photographic truths accompanied by some amazing images (new book - Light, Space & Time) and he summarizes some key points in his recent newsletter.
I didn’t realize that these two events would intersect in such a way as to really teach me the importance of flexibility and resilience.
Anticipation
I was so looking forward to this trip and I even planned an audio book to listen to along the way (Demon Copperhead for anyone who’s interested is really worth a listen even though it’s 21 hrs long - thanks for the recommendation Erin!). I packed up my gear (my 600mm lens and my 100-400mm zoom) in anticipation of a couple of days of photographing snowy owls. This is a highlight of my winter season and the fact that I get to visit with my husband’s mother is a special bonus.
With all of this anticipation you can imagine that the expectations were running a little bit high - I even started planning out timings for driving out to scout out owls and the types of images I wanted to capture (definitely getting a little ahead of myself).
Blue hour landscape photography with a bright moon. (EXIF data 135mm, f4.8, 1/100s, ISO7200)
I arrived late in the day on Friday the 13th (clearly I’m not overly superstitious), had a lovely dinner and settled in for a relaxing evening as Anne (hubby’s mum) was returning from a shopping day in Regina with her nieces and sister. One of the things that I love about visiting Anne is the huge extended family that still lives in the area. Everyone is so connected and so welcoming - I feel rather like I’m coming home when I come to visit.
Rose tinted sky as the sun rises over the prairies. (EXIF data 130mm, f4.8, ISO1400, 1/100s)
I was so excited that I decided to head out before sunrise on the Saturday morning (Anne is not an early riser like I am) and do some bird photography before visiting Anne. The morning was beautiful with a huge bright moon and a very colourful sunrise. The vast open landscape always grabs me and this time was no exception.
I spent quite a bit of time photographing the wide open spaces and minimalist landscape - feeling such contentment and creativity. The quietness of the backroads of Saskatchewan really help me to slow down and calm the expectations which was a particularly good thing for this trip.
Morning Photography
Sharp tailed grouse walking across a crunchy icy landscape. (EXIF data 840mm, f5.6, 1/1250s, ISO250, +0.667EV)
I had such a good time that morning feeling the crisp winter air and the hint of frost on the ground. I ended up photographing all sorts of landscapes and wildlife/birds - there were sharp tailed grouse, grey partridge, snow buntings, jack rabbits and a couple of coyotes and foxes.
I soaked in the atmosphere and I was thoroughly enjoying myself, but wasn’t having much luck spotting snowy owls until the end of my allotted time.
I spotted two owls, but they were quite a distance away - I mean quite a distance away. I’m not sure these even qualify as environmental shots - that’s a bit of a stretch.
If you look closely at just right of the middle of the next image you can see a vertical white blob and you guessed correctly - that is in fact a snowy owl. I would wager it’s a male as there is little sign of black markings on it.
A very distant view of a snowy owl in the middle of the field (yes it’s that white blob to the left of the grain silos). (EXIF data 840mm, 1/800s, f5.6, ISO90, +0.67EV)
David’s message
As I was sitting in my vehicle scanning the horizon for any white blobs - it feels a bit like a game of Where’s Waldo for those who have been around a while - I had a sudden flashback to David’s talk and some of his key messages.
He does a lot of wildlife photography with a focus on apex predators in Africa and northern Canada. He often heads out on trips with ideas in his head of what he’d like to photograph, but he really works hard not to get fixated on that vision because frankly animals are not that great at reading our minds and creating the scenes we envision. If we get too stuck on these expectations then we can miss something equally if not more amazing because we are blind to the possibility.
David’s message was to be open and flexible to alternate possibilities and when the thing you wanted to photograph isn’t there - don’t miss out on what else is there.
Go somewhere with a certain kind of photograph in mind and you might look so hard for that kind of image that you never see what’s actually there. Our expectations can be our biggest blind spots. (David DuChemin - lastest newsletter linked above)
Ice covered vehicle and the roads were worse. (iPhone photo)
It’s very sage advice, but advice that I need to hear over and over again it seems. Sunday morning I woke up to the sound of ice rain pelting against my window - there were going to be no trips to see snowy owls that day. I spent the day writing and visiting with Anne (I also might have introduced her to my obsession with Ted Lasso), but it was so treacherous that I didn’t want to risk a drive on back country gravel roads covered with ice.
Last day before heading home
I had one more morning of photography before finishing up my visiting and then heading home on the Tuesday - the weather forecast was for 25 cm (10”) of snow on the Wednesday, so there was a short weather window that we needed to hit in order to have a safe drive home. I got up early again to overcast skies, but decided to head out and search for those elusive owls.
A horned lark sitting on the side of a gravel road. (EXIF data 840mm, f7.1, ISO1000, 1/2000s, +0.67EV)
It took me a while before I was rewarded with a few sightings, but the light was quite flat and I wasn’t able to capture any in flight images. However, keeping in mind David’s sage advice I did focus on the amazing landscape and I even managed to capture a beautiful image of a horned lark. It was the first time I have seen one and I mistook it for a snow bunting until I got a closer look at my image. I did not expect to see a horned lark in the middle of the prairies in the middle of winter, but when you stop focusing on one subject and pre-existing expectations it is amazing what you can see that does delight you.
Patterns in the snow of a windswept prairie landscape as the sun emerged for a short time. (EXIF data 165mm, 1/800s, f5.6, ISO64)
In addition to the lark there was a short window where the sun peaked through the heavy skies and illuminated the landscape.
This is a special quality of light and yes I did wish that a snowy owl had been in my frame, but I was enthralled by the light nonetheless.
Expectations can be the thief of great images
It’s interesting to note that I had a similar experience here last year ( short eared owl blog) and that time I found something even more amazing than the snowy owls. This time there were no bells and whistle sightings, however I think that I had an amazing experience nonetheless. Spending time getting to know this area of prairie beauty and being able to see the vastness of the skies was a real growth experience.
I had to be more intentional about composition and capturing what I was feeling and not just trying to snap wow owl photos.
Have you ever had to temper your expectations in order to not miss out on something special? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below or drop me a message by clicking on the Connect With Me button.
Female snowy owl hiding in plain sight. (EXIF data 840mm, f7.1, 1/2000s, ISO 720, +0.67EV)
I hope you’ll come back soon, share a cuppa, relax and enjoy more of my musings.
