An Owl Print as a Holiday Gift
The holidays are busy, and the best gifts are the ones you have already sorted out by the time the rush begins. If someone on your list loves owls, wildlife, or the outdoors, a photographic print can be a calm, lasting choice. I make a print called Owl Eyes, and it happens to come from December, which gives it a natural holiday feel. Here is how to plan it.
Road tripping Highway 395, I took a side road to Twin Lakes. Along the way, birds. Lots and lots of birds, but nothing of note. However, on the way back, after the coldest swim of my life, an owl sat upon a fence post.
Pulling out my Tamron 150-500mm lens, I spent an hour locking eyes with this owl.
Additional Information:
Please allow 5-10 days for printing and shipping.
I have the ability to print custom sizes and material (like wood, gatorboard, etc.). If this interests you, please reach out to dj@dalton-johnson.com for a free quote with the size and material you desire.
Timing first, because that is the whole game in this season. Prints take about 5 to 10 days to print and ship. Holiday shipping can add delays that are outside anyone's control, so I would order as early as you can, and I would not wait for the last week. If you need a custom size or a material such as wood or gatorboard, ask for a free quote even earlier, since that adds a step.
Now the image. It is a photograph of a short-eared owl on a weathered post beside a farm field, taken near Bridgeport, California, in early December 2025. The sun had set, and the light was soft, which turned the whole scene into warm browns. The owl looks straight at the camera with bright yellow eyes. It has a quiet, wintry mood that suits the season without being a holiday cliche.
Choosing the size depends on who you are buying for. There are seven, from 8x10 to 24x36, starting at $26.95. Smaller sizes work well for stocking-stuffer energy, when you want something modest but real. A mid-size such as 12x18 or 16x24 is a good general pick. The largest sizes give a wall real presence, and they suit a home with space to fill.
Materials come next. Paper is the least expensive, and you should plan on a frame, since paper looks best framed. That frame can be part of the gift, or you can leave the choice to the recipient. Canvas is warm and textured with little glare, though larger canvases cost more. Metal is the most durable and striking, and it is the priciest, with more glare in bright rooms. I think all three look great with this photo.
Gift wrapping deserves a thought. A framed piece is heavy and awkward, so you may want to wrap a rolled or flat print with a small note. If you use metal or canvas, ask yourself whether you want to hide it until the unwrapping. Either way, a short card that tells the story of the photograph makes a big difference. Mine involves a freezing rope swing, a hot spring, and an owl that flew away the first time I stepped out of the van.
A little honesty is useful here too. I sign prints when I can, but I cannot guarantee it. The print is an open edition, and it is a real photograph made by a person, not by AI. I have not collected a long list of gift stories yet, so I will not invent one.
If you are giving to a couple or a family, think about a print for a shared space such as an entry or a living room wall. It gets seen every day, and it does not need batteries, cords, or updates. Gifts like that tend to outlast the season and quietly become part of the home.
If you are shopping for a household rather than one person, a print like this can be a shared gift that stays out long after the wrapping paper is gone.
Go check out all the prints by Dalton Johnson.
About the Author
Dalton Johnson is a photographer, writer, and filmmaker who tells stories about real people pushing themselves in the outdoors, from the High Sierra to the far reaches of every continent. He has shot and written for brands, tourism boards, and editorial outlets, including Nike, Patagonia, Four Seasons, PBS, GoPro, and Ford, with more than 160 campaigns and hundreds of published articles to his name. Off assignment, he bikepacks, trail runs, swims open water, chases big waves, and rock climbs.
