Last Frame: Now You See Me …

Tom Janik lives on the eastern shore of Lake Erie in Dunkirk, New York, and is primarily a landscape photographer. However, the region is a migratory path between the United States and Canada, so bird photography comes with the territory. “The shot of this eastern screech owl was very easy to get, since the owl was perched in the hollow of a silver maple tree at the end of my driveway,” Janik explains. “I was walking down the drive to my mailbox one morning when the triangular shape of the owl’s ear caught my attention. Other than that unusual shape, the owl’s camouflage was perfect. The owl stayed in the tree for just a few days. We were hoping it might build a nest, but that didn’t happen. Perhaps that was fortunate, as I’ve since learned that screech owls are fearless defenders of their nests and have been known to strike the head of humans who pass near at night.”

Pentax 645Z, smc Pentax-A* 645 600mm F5.6 ED IF, Gitzo aluminum tripod, Arca-Swiss Z1 ballhead. Exposure: 1/500 sec., ƒ/9.5, ISO 800.                                                                                                

To see more of Tom Janik’s photography, visit flickr.com/photos/[email protected].