This photo was made in the fresh morning light of a beautiful day along the northern shores of Lake Superior. This was my second trip to northern Minnesota to photograph the amazing boreal birds it's forests host. Three days before I made this photo, I found out that my Grandfather had passed away. It was only a day after my father arrived. It seems whenever I lose a family member these days, they come back to me through wildlife. In this case, the Great Gray Owl was my Grandfathers "spirit bird". I got to spend well over an hour with this individual, capturing multiple series. It was a moment I'll never forget.

I made this photo with a Canon 7D Mark ii and Canon 100-400mm IS ii lens.