Nice to meet you! An incredible moment unfolds as a giant gray owl swoops in, getting inches from the photographer’s face to take a close-up shot of the camera lens.
A wildlife photographer was in for a surprise when the owl she was capturing broke the fourth wall by swooping down and landing on her camera lens.
The Great Gray Owl, the largest species of owl in the world, flew down and perched just inches from Anaïs Trépanier’s face while she was focusing through her viewfinder in Cote-de-Beaupre near Quebec, Canada.
Anaïs had been trying to capture the majestic bird sitting on a snowy fence in the wintry landscape, but she froze in place as it took flight toward her.
Fellow photographer Thomas Pham-Van documented the incredible moment when the owl calmly settled on the camera, seemingly unbothered, and began preening itself.
Thomas, 47, shared, “The owl took off, flew straight ahead, then looped back, heading right for Anais. I was already in awe of seeing such a magnificent bird in flight, but I was completely stunned when it perched on her camera lens.”
Wildlife photographers Anaïs Trépanier and Thomas Pham-Van were out shooting owls in the snow when they encountered this once-in-a-lifetime moment.
The Great Gray Owl is a very curious and bold bird, unafraid of human contact. It sat on Anaïs’ camera for around 30 seconds before flying off, leaving her both nervous and amazed.
Thomas described Anaïs as remarkably calm, though understandably a bit nervous with such a large wild bird so close to her face. “It’s a wild animal, so we didn’t know how it would react if Anaïs had to move. She kept an eye on its talons to protect her hands,” he added.
The Great Gray Owl, the largest by length at 24 to 33 inches with a wingspan of up to five feet, is a formidable predator. Despite its size, it only weighs around 2.5 pounds, being mostly feathers.
These owls, found in Canada, parts of the U.S., and regions across Scandinavia, Russia, and Siberia, need to consume about seven vole-sized meals daily to survive.
The species is known for a unique hunting technique called “snow-plunging,” where they dive into packed snow to catch small prey hiding beneath.
Although they are not considered endangered, with an estimated 50,000 to 99,999 in the wild, they are still a rare and majestic sight.
Thomas, who spends hours each day searching for animals to photograph, said, “It’s very rare for an owl to get this close to a human, but they are naturally curious. The owl also treated us to magnificent displays of hovering and diving into the snow while hunting.”
Reflecting on the experience, Thomas said, “I was amazed by this magnificent bird, but what happened was truly unexpected. I’m grateful to have captured this surreal and unforgettable moment in pictures. Some people think it’s a montage, but it’s not. And we didn’t bait the owl—it was a spontaneous and fateful encounter.”
Pleasure to meet you! An incredible moment unfolds as a giant gray owl swoops in for a close-up, landing just inches from a photographer’s face as she snaps pictures.
