The First Hour of Daylight – Great Horned Owls

Since the beginning of May, I’ve been making regular early morning visits to an urban location in Phoenix to photograph a family of Great Horned Owls. I usually stop by once or twice a week, watching the two youngsters grow from fluffy owlets into teenagers that are now nearly as large as their parents.

The family spends much of the morning around a small stream and pond – an important source of water during Phoenix’s hot summer months. Watching these magnificent birds come down for a drink is always a highlight, and every now and then they even wade into the shallow water, creating some unique photographic opportunities.

With Phoenix’s summer temperatures climbing higher every week, I’ve also noticed a change in their behavior. Even before sunrise, the owls are often sitting with their wings partially spread and panting, a natural way to cool themselves during the desert summer.

Photographing them isn’t easy. My alarm goes off at 3:00 a.m. so I can be in position before first light. The best opportunity lasts about an hour before the owls retreat into the nearby palm trees. Because of the extremely low light, many of these images were taken at shutter speeds between 1/2 and 1 second. A tripod and the camera’s self-timer are essential – and then all that’s left is to hope the owl doesn’t move at all.