Sometimes you're in the right place at the right time. Working on some information from a good friend, my wife and I decided to track down a Snowy Owl he'd spotted that hunts in Caledon, ON, not too far from our home.

Naturally, I packed a couple camera bodies and lenses, but I knew we'd have to get very close, as the telephoto lenses I have are better suited to creating portraits and landscapes; I don't have or need paparazzi-style super-telephoto lenses. A white bird sitting in a snowy field, a hundred metres away, is just going to be a speck.

As we approached the spot we hoped to find our owl, we saw a parked van; we weren't the first ones to try to catch sight of this bird. The owl was about two hundred metres out in a farmer's field, hunting.

After catching a meal, she flew off, and we followed her to a new post, perched in a tree just on the side of the road.

This was the opportunity I was waiting for. We observed from a distance that she had no fear of cars; several zipped past her, not causing the slightest reaction. Knowing we wouldn't disturb her, my wife maneuvered the car into position, and - with a freezing wind blowing through the open window - I was able to take several photos that really showed her form and grace.

It was such a treat to see this animal in the wild, up close, hunting, going about its routine.