I Had 90 Minutes To Make Some Nice Photos... Wildlife Photography in Jackson Hole with Nikon Z9

[@foto-spective]

I particularly liked the footage with the squirrel running up behind the owl as if taunting him. 😂

[@WyattsWildNature]

Same here, brave little critter

[@BullitTom]

Me too, was funny that 😂

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks!🙏

[@IamNotHerbert]

The only time I ever spotted an owl in the woods was because a squirrel was harassing it and making a scene. Seemed so counter intuitive.

[@tjnicol]

Wow, amazing Steve, when that squirrel came right up behind the owl, talking about cheating death! :) Thank you for sharing.

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks!🙏

[@randygoodsell1533]

Love the image at 11:56 owl sitting in the aspen

[@mikecrowley6485]

Great Video Steve, that looked like an unreal experience. The brave little squirrel checking out the owl was a sight to see. Great work 👍🏻

[@rcgrant9310]

Yes, I could not believe the squirrel was within inches of the owl. First time to ever see that.

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks 👍

[@mikecrowley6485]

@@rcgrant9310 it was a sight to see for sure

[@BobSouthDakota]

Just an awe inspiring video Steve! You make the viewer feel like we're right there with you. Stunningly beautiful, thank you for sharing this.

[@SteveMattheis]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@johnbonotto7637]

Love those shadowy shots with sun illuminating just the face and eyes!

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks! See you soon...

[@kurtkemnitzer]

Thanks for taking us along for the short journey. So many cool photos.

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks buddy! Hope to see you this fall…

[@blakecook7469]

Hi Steve, Thanks again for sharing, Hope you are having a good labor day weekend...

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks, you too!

[@JimboP-Outside]

Great stuff man, love your vids!! 😍

[@SteveMattheis]

Appreciate it!

[@annmarie3520]

Very cool photos! Those owls are really beautiful. I can see why you love them!😊

[@SteveMattheis]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@SteveHorn]

Wow! Stunning photographs, captivating video and informative vlog in such a short time is mind boggling. Love your editing & cropping choices. 90 minutes of exceptional skill + 1 Planck time of luck. It was a real kick in the joules!

[@AwakeningEarthsMusic]

My wife and I were just there for the weakened from Texas, got a lot of great shots. Next year we like to do a day with you. Love your videos.

[@SteveMattheis]

Sounds great!

[@bluefinch6504]

As usual, super shots! It’s nice how you slow down the video to the perfect speed to keep the natural movement yet allows the viewer to soak it up.

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks a lot!

[@BobSmith-zd2nv]

Excellent… I always love photographing great gray owls in GT… your combination of stills and video is outstanding. Will be in Grand Teton the end of Sept

[@wattswildlifephoto]

Awesome stuff Steve!! GGOs are the best… you pulled off so many phenomenal shots of this family.

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks Evan🙏

[@altrujillo3566]

What a treat to live near such a treasure rich environment! I really like how the lichen is spaced out on the limb at 8:15. Great images, thanks for sharing with us.

[@SteveMattheis]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Domer74]

Another excellent video from the "Owl Whisperer" Thanks for sharing!

[@SteveMattheis]

Many thanks!

[@rerolley]

That was one bold squirrel @9:00. Nice video, as always.

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks 👍

[@DavidBrookover]

Nothing like having a really good cup of green tea and watching a Steve Mattheis video early in the morning to get your day started. Your work is exemplary!

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks David! I appreciate your support so much

[@liveadventureexplore]

Great video! I liked when the squirrel tried to chase the owl away.

[@SteveMattheis]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@VictorWeizer]

Another great outing. Thanks for sharing this.

[@SteveMattheis]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jbilly24]

Looks like that Owl at 07:05 was banded? Very cool, and excellent video!

[@SteveMattheis]

Yes they are banded. Teton Raptor Center has been studying our local population for over a decade.

[@jasoneldridgephotography]

Thanks for sharing Steve! Always great to see your videos and of course the photography.

[@randyschwager2515]

Another amazing vlog! Fabulous images! Thanks for taking me along!

[@Karkawry1970]

That taunting Squirrel lol!! 😆 Loved the B&W shot in the Birch tree...

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks!🙏

[@joecronin5017]

Steve great as usual, always great to watch you work really enjoy it. thanks fro Canada..

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks 👍

[@Moesound1]

Thanks for another great video. I appreciate the information you pass on in your videos.

[@SteveMattheis]

Glad you like them!

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

I am really impressed by how much sharpness/DoF is provided at f/2.8 I thus wonder why did you shoot the one at min 11:23 at f/9. I suspect it was so to have enough DoF to get the front of the aspen tree in focus. But then I wonder how the aspen trees in the other photos at f/2.8 are in focus (e.g. at min 11:02, 12:03, 12:10) - so smt else must be at play. Pls advise accordingly. Tnx in advance and for sharing, as always excellent shots, keep up the good work !!!

[@SteveMattheis]

Yes I wanted more dof for the trees. Distance to subject plays a huge role in determining dof.

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

Tnx. So were you closer to the owl in this picture? Cause the owl is not much larger (compared to the other frames) which suggests to me that the other frames were much more heavily cropped.

[@SteveMattheis]

You might be overthinking this. The tree is much closer. As is the background.

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

I'm just trying to make sense of what I'm seeing, as the owl at 11:44 is much larger in the frame, so it seems that either it was closer to you than the one at 11:23 or cropped far more heavily. I am not writing these to give you a hard time or something, but even after 20 years of shooting wildlife I still struggle with aperture and DoF in the sense that with few exceptions I'm rarely satisfied with what I see in my photos when I pixel peep :-) Of course I'm unable to pixel peep your images as I can only see their utube rendering so I have only imprecise understanding of your photos' DoF. I'm still trying to work out for myself some fieldcraft rules of thumb as I have been photographing birds and other animals of all sizes from different distances with a variety of lenses on crop and FF bodies. So your f/9 frame intrigued me. Sometimes I shoot wildlife at f/8 and others at f/2.8 but there are frames that I find lacking in DoF at both apertures :-)

[@SteveMattheis]

11:44 appears much larger because of it's pose and visibility. 11:23 is partially hidden so it looks smaller but the facial disk is only slightly smaller than 11:44. So let's assume that they are both about 50 feet away from the camera. At f/2.8 we will get about 9 inches of dof and at f/9 we will get about 30 inches. Either way, the dof is very limited. Distance to the background is very different as well.

[@Berry_N]

Good to see you, thanks for the video.

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks for watching!

[@jasper19661]

Awesome Steve!!! Heading out to Jackson Hole this coming week!!!

[@SteveMattheis]

Have a great trip!

[@SimonBullArt]

Really great Steve!

[@joebecker3107]

Another fun vlog and stunning images.

[@SteveMattheis]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@stevep2430]

Great photos and in interesting light. Had to laugh with your attempts to end the vlog, it was like that kid that doesn't leave home until the age of 40.😁

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks! And yes, I'm kinda awkward...

[@hughp00]

Wow, a grey owl and Rembrandt lighting, how cool is that? Great stuff my friend, stay safe.

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks!🙏

[@thomaskolceski4282]

Awesome video Steve! The photos were great, hard to pick a favorite! The squirrel playing tag with the GGO was epic. Thanks for sharing!

[@SteveMattheis]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@rcgrant9310]

Steve, Such masterful photography! Sincerest thanks for taking us along with you! Any info you can share on the thermo-cell for mosquitoes would be appreciated.

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks! And here is a link amzn.to/45XT3Fb

[@rcgrant9310]

Thank You! Ordering now...@@SteveMattheis

[@minerdave]

Great photos! 90 minutes well spent. Thanks again for sharing.

[@SteveMattheis]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@johnirwin9334]

Fantastic!Thanks

[@SteveMattheis]

Glad you liked it!

[@brandt_bennett]

Simply magical. Thank you for sharing!

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks!🙏

[@johnround8311]

Excellent work.

[@SteveMattheis]

Many thanks!

[@zephalu]

We really enjoy journeying with you in search of wildlife and especially Great Gray Owls! You got some exceptional photos as usual.

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks!

[@johndeblaquiere5218]

Another great video Steve,amazing photos it would be an amazing experience to capture photos of something as magnificent as those beautiful owls cheers😊

[@SteveMattheis]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jeffreyshankel219]

Once again, great video! Always love your Great Gray Owl adventures!!!

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks again!

[@brucegraner5901]

Amazing that you could produce the quantity of excellent photos that you did in only 90 minutes while taking us along with you. Much appreciated. I got a big kick out of the squirrel sneaking up behind the owl. I'm not sure if he's very brave or just not very smart. I always look forward to your posts. Temps have dipped down here below the 100-degree mark so I'm looking forward to getting back out more often very soon and this video was the perfect inspiration.

[@SteveMattheis]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@TheSun1901]

Great images, Steve! Love the one at 10:57

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks!🙏

[@WyattsWildNature]

Amazing shots Steve, thanks for sharing. Cheers from Washington state

[@SteveMattheis]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ronnyolsson2802]

Stunning !! Ronny //

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks!🙏

[@Povilaswildlife]

Just beutiful nice work 🤩🤩

[@SteveMattheis]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@LisaSaffell]

So cool! That parent had a leg band, were you able to read the number?

[@SteveMattheis]

Yep

[@thisisme1999]

Definitely some very nice videos and fantastic images. When someone knows their subject and has practiced their skills and even with great equipment, luck becomes a minor point. Some of the best Great Gray Owl shots I can remember seeing.

[@SteveMattheis]

Many thanks!

[@merkin22]

Dang, you make good photos (as always!).

[@markjensen663]

Awesome photos Steve. You should have put that teasing squirrel footage ahead of the very unlucky squirrel footage as a take on Karma. Those young owls both look to have banded legs.

[@SteveMattheis]

Good point, I should have. And yes they are banded. Teton Raptor Center has been studying them here for over a decade👍

[@janm2473]

Another great one, Steve! Thank you!

[@SteveMattheis]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@georgefrench1907]

You snagged a few great shots for your next book. 👍

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks 👍

[@blivieriphoto]

Great video Steve! Those owls are so beautiful. Squirrels are pretty feisty too 😁

[@SteveMattheis]

You got that right

[@christophercarlimages9003]

You got a ton of stellar images in 90 minutes that most people would take a lifetime to get, if they got them at all. Kudos!

[@SteveMattheis]

Thank you very much

[@JenRitchiePhotography]

Sweet!

[@SteveMattheis]

Oh yeah!

[@retirewithjames6745]

Good stuff! Just found you.

[@wildbillgreen]

Great stuff as usual.

[@SteveMattheis]

I appreciate that

[@georgecarpenter4126]

At the 9:00 mark - what did that squirrel think it was going to accomplish by sneaking up,on that owl ?

[@SteveMattheis]

It just likes a challenge?

[@beverlydavis1153]

Great Video and stunning photos!!

[@SteveMattheis]

Many thanks!

[@ArtoMikkola]

This made my sunday, thanks!

[@SteveMattheis]

Glad to hear it!

[@just_eirik]

I can’t believe that squirrel dared to get so close! Love these videos! Love that you mostly just post videos of doing actual photography instead of gear review after gear review.

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks for watching!

[@michael_barber]

Another great video Steve. It would be awesome if you could do a video sometime explaining your video process. Something like the settings (log, fps...) and how you do the editing. The videos always look amazing.

[@davidroberts5535]

I love how you get to spend 90 minutes. Awesome footage and captures.

[@SteveMattheis]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@mitchellmysliwiecphotography]

What a great way to end a day. fun to hang with the owls

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks!🙏

[@davidziegert7500]

Like usual, I am so happy you posted another video! I’m getting ready to head out to Tulum and I will try to bring your enthusiasm with me, even if I don’t have your equipment (D750 with a sigma 150-600 C) 😀

[@SteveMattheis]

Have fun!

[@acanthosaura7018]

First time i see squirrel as a owl's food!!

[@jerjaws]

We gotta get Steve to 100k subscribers. Best GG vlogs on YTube

[@SteveMattheis]

Ha! I appreciate the sentiment but it seems kinda unlikely...

[@cesarm8811]

So darn amazing Steve...the owls are so beautiful. Do you use the Z9 for the videos?

[@SteveMattheis]

For video I use the Z9, GoPro and Sony ZV1

[@markattardo]

You sure made the most of that 90 minutes!👍👍

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks!

[@johnd746]

What was with the squirrel sneaking up on the owl?

[@SteveMattheis]

Bold…

[@georgefourlaris7948]

Another wonderful video Steve! Thanks for making it for us! I have a question, Im trying to better educate myself on Great Gray Owl behaviour. when you said that dad stays behind and feeds the chicks and mom usually leaves the scene, why does mom do that? I was under the impression that these owls do not migrate, thus confusing me to as why mom would leave the family? If you could elaborate a bit, I would be so grateful.Thanks again

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks for watching. Some of these owls migrate out of the valley during winter, and some stay. Females often leave the nesting territories in late summer and early fall - leaving the male to 'finish' raising the young before they all go off on their own in early winter.

[@rogertwilley8305]

I did notice that one was banded but did it also have a tracking transmitter on it?

[@SteveMattheis]

Yes, some are banded. Teton Raptor Center has been studying our local owls for over a decade.

[@mactube72]

Amazon photos..specially the last one with low light and one eye in focus.

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks!

[@georgemason2472]

One brave or stupid squirrel there. Great video.

[@SteveMattheis]

Maybe both?😂

[@njs12706]

GLORIOUS 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻, sorry for shouting😉

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks!

[@michaelsurratt9593]

Epic owl photos

[@SteveMattheis]

Thanks!🙏

[@davidmurphy7847]

What is your mosquito protection?

[@SteveMattheis]

amzn.to/45XT3Fb

[@PhotographybyTimWMoore]

A bad day to be a squirrel!!!

[@alicesmith1034]

You are truly the owl whisperer...

[@SteveMattheis]

🙏

[@raysanders332]

Do you use auto ISO or manual? Thanks

[@janm2473]

Great question!

[@SteveMattheis]

Both! Depends on the situation of course. I made a video about this earlier this spring.

[@raysanders332]

Thanks.@@SteveMattheis

[@joakimolsson1024]

Wow! You can just walk around and shoot wildlife? Im obviously living in the wrong place! (wildlife here is extremely skittish!). Well done!

[@jimbird963]

Better lucky than good ❌💀

[@SteveMattheis]

Hmmmmm

[@CarlosBenjamin]

That must’ve been a teenage squirrel. Way too cocky for an adult who knows what these death machines can deal out.

[@nogroove3819]

Sweet!!