Curious Wisdom by Stephen Oachs

Sunday, 25th July 2010

Curious Wisdom

by Stephen Oachs

The Barred Owl (Strix varia), also commonly known as a Hoot Owl, is a nocturnal creature by nature, but has no problem hunting before night fall. They will often perch on a tree branch and wait for prey to pass by. Their diet includes small mammals, amphibians and some insects, and are attracted to light because of the insects that gather around it.
Taken at Presqu’ile Provincial Park, Ontario, this curious little owl was caught peeking out from among the shadows of a thick forest of Jack Pine trees.

Equipment: Canon 1D Mark III

Stephen Oachs

Stephen W. Oachs is an award-winning photographer, successful entrepreneur and technology veteran who began his journey in photography the moment he picked up his first camera.
Completely self-taught, Stephen’s unique and distinctive style has earned him recognition as one of today’s finest nature photographers. He was recognized in 2007 as wildlife photographer of the year by the National Wildlife Federation and was awarded best nature photographer in 2008 by National Geographic.
Stephen has received many other awards and achievements. His work has graced the pages of such notable publications such as National Geographic, Popular Photography, Outdoor Photographer, National Wildlife Magazine and many others.
In 2009 Stephen founded The Aperture Academy, a unique combination of fine art photography gallery in conjunction with classroom and workshop instruction. Students of the Aperture Academy recieve hands on instruction designed for their individual skill level which includes everything from learning to shoot in the field to digital post processing techniques.
Whether trekking through the wilds of Alaska, enduring the raw challenges of nature or experiencing the thrill of life on the edge, Stephen captures rare and breathtaking moments of light and time. His exceptional eye is filtered only by his passion for life, deep affinity with nature and love of adventure.

www.ApertureAcademy.com

10 Comments

julie Says:
July 25th, 2010 at 4:34 am
Once again Stephen you have totally taken us to the beauty that nature has to offer…thanks so much for your hard work and patience to make every photo an outstanding peek into another world.
Su Says:
July 25th, 2010 at 11:09 am
I’m speechless what a lovely shot this is, i know i will keep popping back to this one.
sbl Says:
July 25th, 2010 at 11:14 am
Delightful. Never tire of looking at photographs of owls.
Victoria Shelton Says:
July 25th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Wonderful animal portrait!I also love the details of the bark, lichen, and moss on the tree.
Marie Dunphy Harding Says:
July 25th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Oh I love this shot! It looks like a young Hoot.
renee Says:
July 25th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Excellent shot. Thanks for sharing
Malta Photography Says:
July 25th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
As ever Stephen your shots are very nice and they show the wild as it is.
Steven Davis Says:
July 26th, 2010 at 5:00 am
nice job stephen
Pauline Jones Says:
July 26th, 2010 at 9:14 am
This is a lovely wildlife shot, the kind I like to paint.
Katherine Lee Strassburg Says:
July 31st, 2010 at 3:22 am
He is obviously posing and very proud to be one of your subjects. He’s beautiful–the last Barred Owl I saw flew in front of my car on a foggy dark night–very Alfred Hitchcock-like. It was a first for my sister, and a perfect setting, but no possible photo opportunity. We followed him down the road from tree to tree for a way, and now enjoy the memory.