The holidays have always been a time to spend with family and friends.  And even though we’ll be shooting abroad this Christmas season, we’re lucky to have a chance to work with some of our favorite collaborators during our 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway.  Today we’re getting a little help  from our friend, John Benam, who’s passing along an amazing slow-motion shot of an Eastern Screech Owl, mid-hunt.

If the image looks a bit familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen John’s stuff before.  John’s worked on some of the most successful nature documentaries of the last decade, even netting an Emmy for Best Cinematography for his work on National Geographic’s Great Migration Series.

This amazing shot might not seem like the stuff Christmas dreams are made of until you realize that this is one of the first hunts for a rehabilitating Eastern Screech Owl, who’s recovering from injury and preparing to set back out into it’s natural habitat.  The moment was captured at 1050 frames per second, giving us an up-close look at the hunting methods of these incredible animals.

You can see more of John’s stunning work on Vimeo, and be sure to check out all the latest on his website.  We hope you enjoy today’s “guest gift” and we’ll see you tomorrow with another gift for our 12-days of Christmas Giveaway.

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