Northern Hawk Owl, Denali National Park, Alaska #2990

Last August I conducted Camp Denali’s fall photography workshop. While on a bus with all the workshop attendees we came upon this northern hawk owl perched in a willow tree. Most of the photographers decided to shoot extremely tight shots. Sometimes wildlife photographers choose to feature that super tight shot that shows the animal but not the space it inhabits. I am trying more and more to back away and let the environment soak into the image and give the viewer a fuller picture. In this image I love the branches and the amazing fall colors falling out of focus in the background. Enjoy the photo. Thank you for visiting – Camera: Nikon D800, Lens: Nikkor 80-400 f/4.5-5.6, ISO 800/ Digital Capture ©Mark Kelley