Steve Bruno Photography

It's hard enough for me to wrap my mind around the sheer size and complexity of our planet, let alone comprehend that earth is just one tiny celestial body in The Milky Way galaxy. Made up of an estimated half trillion stars, it has a diameter that stretches hundreds of millions of light years across! Another way to visualize its scale is to picture our earth as it rotates around our sun. The journey of a full rotation happens once per year. Similarly, our solar system rotate...s around the centre of the Milky Way galaxy, but on a time scale of once every 230 million years; all the while traveling at a blistering speed of 720,000 km/h! As if that wasn't enough to make our heads explode, our galaxy, this incomprehensibly large army of coordinated masses circling in unison, is just one of an estimated 2 trillion galaxies in the known universe. I find it fascinating that the universe just seems to grow exponentially with our ability to observe it. . . . #milkyway #milkywaygalaxy #astrophotography #astronomy #nightphotography #nightsky #canada #earthcapture #cangeo See more

With ideal clear skies and minimal moon light pollution, I couldn't resist heading up north for a chance to photograph the now famous Neowise comet. I was surprised to find other observers camped out beside their cars along the sides of the small country roads we passed. It's amazing to think that for some of these observers, this is the first comet they have ever seen! After finding a dark quiet spot, and setting up my tripod, it was just a matter of waiting. It took awhile... for the sky to darken enough to see the comet, but by about 11pm it was visible in the sky to the naked eye. There aren't many things as inspiring as a comet with it's massive tail stretching across the sky! The tail is actually made up of gas and dust particles and like most comets, it actually has 2 tails, one of plasma, made of ionized gas, and a dust tail made of small solid particles (which always points away from the sun). You can see the smaller tail faintly to the left of the larger one. The last time I saw a comet was comet Hail Bopp in 1997, named after the astronomer that discovered it. The comet measured a massive 40-80 km across and remained visible in the sky for a staggering 18 months! Neowise, on the other hand, was named after the telescope used when it was discovered on March 27, 2020. It's a much smaller comet at approximately 5km across and will only be visible for about 70 days. All in all, it was an awesome experience: 3 satellites spotted, a few fireflies, the milky way, and of course the comet Neowise comet! . . . #neowise #neowisecomet #astrophotography #astronomy #nightphotography #comet #nightsky See more

It's been an interesting last few months to say the least. As with most things, my photography outings were (and for the most part still are) put on hold. While I really missed the feeling of getting up before sunrise, picking u an early morning coffee before jumping on the highway to heading north for a few hours to experience the beauty of the morning sunrise secluded somewhere remote with only the sounds of the wind, water, and wildlife, I have been given the invaluable gi...ft of being able to watch my little girl transition from a new born to a crawling, laughing baby, seeing every step along the way. I am definitely still looking for the day when can plan more trips to see and capture amazing sights in nature. I made this composite of a bald eagle in flight while at #loessbluffsnationalwildliferefuge late last year. I hope you enjoy it. How have you been coping with being cooped up in your homes? I must confess, on more than one occasion I have camped out in my backyard photographing the neighborhood squirrels, robin's, finches and sparrows :) . . #birdsofinstagram #wildlifephotography #earthcapture #baldeagle #loessbluffsnationalwildliferefuge #earthcapture #birdphotography #quarentine #splendid_animals See more

Instagram is an amazing way to share our photography to many people around the world, and I have been having a blast over the last few years doing it. But, one thing I have noticed is that certain photos "perform" better than others, not because they are inherently more artistic or capture a mood better, bit simply because they work better in the constraints of a mobile social media feed. Typically close up sharp/detailed animal portraits get the most likes and shares. It is ...tough for lower contrast subtle shots of an animal in an environment to compete. This is especially true for horizontal photos which have less screen real-estate on a vertical phone. This early morning Bald Eagle photo breaks all of the rules for an instagram worthy shot, but I wanted to post it anyways because to me, it perfectly captures a mood and reminds me of what it felt like to get up early and search for these incredible predators, and to me that's what makes a good photograph. While this photo not get a lot of traction on social media, I think it could do well in other mediums, particularly print on some nice matte paper. In fact I might do just that :) Let me know in the comments below if there was a photo you took that you really liked but didn't post on social media because you thought it wouldnt perform well. I'd encourage you to post it anyways, and tag me, I'd love to check it out! . . . #birdsofinstagram #wildlifephotography #earthcapture #fog #baldeagle #loessbluffsnationalwildliferefuge #cooltones #earthcapture #birdphotography See more

I took a little break from Instagram, but I'm back now and going to finish posting the remaining captures I took at #loessbluffsnationalwildliferefuge. When I first arrived at the refuge, there was a thick blanket of fog covering the whole area. In the background I could hear birds in the distance, but the thick fog was hiding them from view. These two ducks were some of the first birds I saw that day. It's a little more abstract than my usual photos, but I think it perfectly captures the peaceful atmosphere of that morning. #birdsofinstagram #ducks #dawn #wildlifephotography #birdphotography #earthcapture

We are so used to thinking an animals body is as large as it's shape outline, but with birds, especially owls (with their thick soft feathers), we can get a distorted view of their body size. Looking back on this shot I took of this Northern Hawk Owl preening itself, I almost couldn't tell what I was looking at. His head seems almost half its normal size as he pulls it back to preen the feathers at the base of his neck. This seems like a physically impossible maneuver for a b...ird that appears to have no neck. In reality, owls actually have a fairly long neck with 14 vertebrae, compared to our 7! The next time you see an owl, try not to think of its outline as the whole bird, think of it more like a really puffy warm winter coat, that can also help it to fly ;) . . #northernhawkowl #owls #birdsofprey #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #raptors #splendid_animals #wildlife #animalbehavior #nature #composite #earthcapture #sharecangeo See more

There is just something about an owls stare that is adorable and at the same time intimidating. This Northern Hawk Owl had no issues with us photographers watching it fly from tree to tree while hunting. It even flew in our direction a number of times. In this instance it landed on a tree quite close to us and stared our way for a good 15 seconds before finding a more secluded perch further in the marsh. Side note: I dont always throw in this notice, but I think it is importa...nt to say once in a while: I shoot with a 600mm lens. In addition, many of my shots for instagram are heavily cropped in, so it can give the appearance of being much closer to the owl than I was. If you are shooting birds with a 200 or even 300mm lens you shouldnt expect to be getting full frame images. It's always important to first respect the bird you are photographing by giving it space. Also on another side note: I have also been experimenting with new software to further enhance details in blurry or heavily cropped photos. It's a sharpening program from #topazlabs, and have been pretty happy with the trial version so far. I might get myself a copy. We'll see, I need to do more testing (not a paid ad, just wanted to mention it in case anyone else might he interested). Anyways, back to the owl. When you look at their feather patterns up close you can see lots of interesting and distinct sections, particularly outlining the facial disks. It is such a beautiful bird. I also love how birds, and owls in particular, seem to almost swallow up the perch they are standing on with their feathers. . . northernhawkowl #owls #birdsofprey #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #raptors #splendid_animals #wildlife #animalbehavior #nature #composite #earthcapture #sharecangeo See more

One of the most incredible moments, not only of my time spent with this bird, but of all my bird encounters from the last year or so, happened while the group of photographers and I watched as this owl was perched on a tree about 100 feet from us. All of a sudden it quickly flew in our direction, then did something I'll never forget. It hovered almost perfectly still for what seemed like an eternity, in front of us while looking at the ground. I held my finger on the shutter,... taking bursts after bursts of shots (as did the other photographers). After probably 10 seconds the owl dove into the grass, and flew off with a vole in its talons. We were just all silent for a good 5 seconds after that and just looked at each other in disbelieve at what we had just witnessed before our eyes. Not only was this the first time I saw this beautiful owl, but I also got to see this incredible behavior first hand. Truly awe inspiring! I created this composite from 4 of the hover frames. I moved each of the framed to be stacked vertically above each other. I hope you enjoy, and have a great rest of the weekend! . . #northernhawkowl #owls #birdsofprey #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #raptors #splendid_animals #wildlife #animalbehavior #nature #composite See more

The Northern Hawk Owl gets its name from the fact that unlike most owls that are nocturnal, it hunts primarily during the daytime. It has quite an assortment of food items on its menu, ranging from smaller birds to rodents, and even small mammals! It was definitely exciting to watch this owl hunt for a vole right in front of my eyes. When I captures this photo, he had just landed at the very top of this short tree. It was amazing to watch as he stretched his neck in and out i...n order to balance in the blowing wind. We could see him staring intensely below, looking for any subtle sound beneath the snow, or movement that would give away the location of a potential prey animal. Once the animal was detected, he plunge into the snow/grass to capture it! . . #northernhawkowl #owls #birdsofprey #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #raptors #splendid_animals #wildlife See more

Bird photography is usually a solo sport, but every once in a while a rare visitor arrives that attracts the attention of photographers and bird watchers from far and wide. This Northern Hawk Owl, a species of bird usually found further North in the boreal forest, decided to spend this winter in a small Southern Ontario town. I was one of the photographers that enjoyed this crow-sized owl's visit. Fortunately this owl displayed very little concern for the photographers excit...ed for a chance to photograph it, and routinly would hunt for rodents right in front of us. I'll be releasing a series of posts over the next week or so, showing more of the encounters I had with this owl, and what I learned about its normally solitary life. . . #hawkowl #birdsofig #birds #wildlifephotography #animalfacts #loessbluffsnationalwildliferefuge #elite_raptors #owls #raptors See more

Happy National Bird Day! Birds are some of the most amazing animals we have on our planet. Their ability to fly is the most obvious and probably the most amazing, but there are so many others like: 1) They are found in every continent and climate, with some that travel thousands of miles each year 2) There is so much variety in their looks, abilities and behaviors. There are tiny birds, massive birds. Social birds, solitary birds. Birds built for the coldest climates and tho...se built for the hottest. 3) They are masters of navigation. They are believed to use the earth's magnetic field to know their bearings. Some species even use the stars! 4) Most birds have hollow bones and some species even use the air in their bones as part of their respiratory system! 5) Most birds have a preen gland at the end of their tail that produces a waterproof oil which the bird will spread over its wings by "preening". 6) Many birds have incredible eyesight and hearing 7) There are almost 10,000 species of birds, close to double the number of mammal species --- This photo of an immature bald eagle was taken at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge. . . . #nationalbirdday #baldeagle #birdsofig #birds #wildlifephotography #animalfacts #loessbluffsnationalwildliferefuge #elite_raptors See more

While exploring Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, I noticed 2 bald eagles perched beside a small lake. This lake had a group of a few hundred snow geese. Every once in a while one of the eagles would take off towards the geese and stir them up. My best guess is that the eagles did this to help identify any weak or injured geese among the group that could make for an easy meal. It's pretty amazing to see how a top predator like an eagle can so easily stir up a large group of mid-sized birds. Swipe left to see the sequence of shots . . #loessbluffsnationalwildliferefuge #birdsofig #earthcapture #wildlifephotography #animalfacts #baldeagle #snowgeese #wildliferefuge #splendid_animals @ Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge

As the sun sets on one decade and dawns on another, it's hard to believe just how fast time really does fly by. These past 10 years have brought so many amazing changes to my life. 10 years ago I was a single man without any real interest in photography. I have now discovered this amazing passion for nature and wildlife. But more importantly, I now have the most wonderful person in the world to call my wife: @elizabeth__bruno , and as I'm typing this post, my my sweet little ...girl is sleeping peacefully beside me. Of course with life, every new season is met with some challenges, but I feel more blessed than ever, and look forward to the next decade that I believe will be even greater! I pray the same for you and your family. May your 2020 and beyond bring you even more peace, joy and fulfilment than this past decade! God bless, and happy new year! . . #thankful #newyears2020 #sunset #reflective #birdsofinstagram #wildlifephotography #birdsofig #splendid_animals See more