Topaz Simplify on Sale at 50% off until February 28 Plus a free Webinar

A reminder to everybody that Topaz Simplify is available to the end of February at 50% off. For those who already own Simplify there is a new upgrade available for free which can be downloaded on the Topaz website http://www.topazlabs.com/downloads.

Topaz Simplify allows you as a photographer to to transform your photos into artwork. You can make paintings, sketches watercolors etc. There are numerous presets available for you to start with and then you can adjust them to your own taste.

Topaz has a webinar on the use of Simplify

Exploring the Artistic Possibilities and Technical Uses of Topaz Simplify Tuesday, Feb. 25 - 3pm CST (1pm PST, 4pm EST, 9pm UTC) Check Timezone »

Topaz Simplify is the ultimate toolbox for high-impact photo art effects. Using a specialized digital art technology, you can quickly create paintings, sketches, watercolors, cartoons, and more. Join Nichole Paschal as she introduces you to the new and improved Simplify v4.1 interface tools and explores both the artistic possibilities and technical uses of this creative program. Register Now »

 

I took a picture of a Northern Hawk Owl and converted the photo into an oil painting.

You can obtain a copy of Topaz simplify by clicking this link: http://www.topazlabs.com/aff/idevaffiliate.php?id=850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftopazlabs.com%2Fsimplify

The link brings you to the page and the coupon is listed on the page.

Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula)

Northern Hawk Owl

Our next quest was to locate and photograph Northern Hawk Owls and Great Gray Owls. We had to travel from Drumheller up to the Edmonton area where we stayed in Fort Saskatchewan, as city outside of Edmonton.. We met up with our local guide who informed us that although the week before there were Great Gray Owls around, that because of the warmer weather and wind they had disappeared into the woods. However, he had seen at least a dozen Northern Hawk Owls. We then spent the rest of that day and all of the next day searching for the Northern Hawk Owls. Most of the time when we found them they were sitting high in the trees in the distance. In the late afternoon the owls became active and we were able to catch flight shots, feeding behavior and they would come in and sit on the fence posts.

The Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) is a non-migratory bird, however on occasions it will erupt southward. In fact a couple of years ago I photograph one in Maine and this year they have been reported in Vermont.

Northern Hawk Owls are found across the northern holarctic region both in North America and Eurasia. The owls are unevenly distributed in variable through the boreal forest liking open coniferous forest or coniferous forests with deciduous species.

Northern Hawk Owl

The Northern Hawk Owl feeds on small rodents and mammals that are bigger in size and a variety of birds. They are partially a diurnal hunter but can hunt at any time.

Northern Hawk Owl Flying

Northern Hawk Owl Flying

Northern Hawk Owl Flying

The Hawk-Owl prefers open, forest-type environments when perching.  Northern Hawk-Owls will perch on the top of spruce trees looking for prey. When the Hawk-Owl attacks, it goes from a horizontal posture into a gliding dive. The Hawk-Owl has exceptional hearing and can plunge into snow to capture rodents below the surface.

Northern Hawk Owl coming in In a Glide

Northern Hawk Owl Catching a Rodent in the Snow

Northern Hawk Owl Starting to Fly out from the Snow

Northern Hawk Owl Flying Away with Prey

An interesting feature of the Northern Hawk Owl is that if they are well fed they will cache the prey on underneath the bark on trees to save for a time when they cannot find food. Apparently they do remember where they cached the food. We were lucky enough to see them catch food and then cache it.

Northern Hawk Owl Caching Food

Northern Hawk Owl Caching Food

Northern Hawk Owl Caching Food