Iron Heart: Behind the Image

“Iron Heart” : Eastern Screech Owlet

100-400mm | 2023

“Iron Heart”: Juvenile Screech Owlet

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We met in the twilight hours of early summer, where the evenings seem endless and the fireflies start to pierce the veil of night. I set up for a long exposure, ready to begin the hunt for a wild nocturnal. I shifted in the dirt, dropped my bag and startled - there he was, staring at me with such focus that I lost my own. We drifted into a land that time had forgotten in those seconds, but I needed to shoot and he needed to leave, as a blistering sound ripped through the darkened emerald forest.

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Looming just across the dirt path, down by the rivers edge, were a pair of juvenile great horned owls. These owls were always watching, calling, and assessing their new territory. The risk here is great for curious screech owls, especially those who are distracted with a human. This revelation of proximity was shocking to me, and it led to just one never forgotten, deeply rich photographed frame.

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“You should probably leave”, I whispered.

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And he did - never to be seen again.

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Paris, On. 2023