One of the greatest things about wildlife is that it always takes you by surprise. Mother Nature offers spectacular sights in no time. Fortunately, some talented photographers get the chance to snap these so called “once-in-a-lifetime” moments. Well…for one of them, he was actually part of such a moment!
The renowned photographer Scott Dere was patiently waiting to grab some great owl shots, when one suddenly landed straight on his camera. Scott teamed up with three other photographers, including Arthur Lefo, Brooke Bartleson and Beaumon Day. As you imagine, he had no time to react, but thankfully Beau was in the right place at the right time to catch the striking moment on camera.
“In a minute or two, I found one perched and wolf-whistled to the three others,” Scott shared with PetaPixel. “It was an incredible moment when the owl decided to land on my head! It sent tingles down my spine for hours.
For the moment to be even more eye-catching, the massive bird was perfectly blended with the camouflage of the lens. “After a few moments, the owl repositioned on my lens, and I was able to pivot it slightly to pose for an image,” Scott said. “Thankfully Beau has the reflexes and sense to take the photograph that I will cherish forever.”
It was surprising for all four photographers to have have such a close encounter with an owl. But apparently, the majestic bird was also very fond of them, since it scheduled another unexpected land, this time on Brooke’s head. A moment that sent all into laughter, especially Brooke.
“With many of my wildlife images, it is being at the right place at the right moment and ready,” Beau said. “I am thankful I had the reaction I did to quickly compose and take a shot to remember this special moment.Aside from this particular lucky shot, it is different in that I typically do not have wildlife images with people in them.”
Trying to explain the owl unlikely behavior, the photographers said it was driven by curiosity. “The owl was young, juvenile—you can tell by certain features on the owl, like the tail feathers,” Beau said. “This young owl was just curious about these strange visitors in his neck of the woods and wanted to check us out.”
h.t: boredpanda | Beaumon Day | petapixel
