Notes on snowy owls

The first time I saw one, I was driving. She was on a fence post, eyes closed, unbothered by the wind. I pulled over and watched for an hour, never once lifting the camera.

I think about that a lot. A photo costs nothing. A bird gets fewer hours of daylight than I do, and almost none of them belong to me.

So I've started waiting longer. Not in a noble way — I just don't want to spend a winter taking the same picture of the same bird from the same angle, the way I might have a few years ago.

When the photograph happens, it's usually a surprise.