The challenge of getting a great bird photograph makes it an extremely rewarding style of photography. Patience and persistence are required, and when you add in the elements of winter, you can easily see why bird photography isn’t for everyone. This week we’re featuring a group of Sony photographers who know what it’s like to wait out in the cold to get the shot. Using their Sony Alpha cameras and Sony lenses, these photographers give us a peek into a world we don’t normally see with birds and nature. See the images they’ve posted below and follow their accounts for more. Tag your own Sony photography posts with #BeAlpha and follow @sonyalpha for your daily dose of Sony photo inspiration.

This week we feature a selection of photographers braving the rugged winter to create beautiful bird imagery with their Sony Alpha cameras and Sony lenses.

Matt Kloskowski – @mattkloskowski

Matt Kloskowski is a photographer, educator and Sony Artisan Of Imagery. His Instagram account features stunning bird, landscape and nature photography. He captured this super sharp and up-close shot of an osprey using the Sony Alpha 7R IV with the caption, “I won’t lie... sometimes 61 megapixels is just fun. I was able to fill the Sony Alpha 7R IV frame with this Osprey today.” Learn more about how he photographs birds in his Pro Guide For Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced Bird Photographers.

Mahesh Thapa – @starvingphotographer

Mahesh Thapa is a Seattle-based photographer and member of the Sony Alpha Imaging Collective. He's known to capture brilliant landscapes, astroscapes and cityscapes, and more recently he’s posted some beautiful bird photography, like this incredible soaring eagle image he took with the Sony Alpha 9 and Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G lens. Follow his account to see which beautiful bird or nature scene he posts next.

Steve Jessmore – @sjessmo

After working as a photojournalist for over 30 years, Steve Jessmore is now a freelance photographer who enjoys nature and wildlife. You can learn more about his transition into this style of photography in his Alpha Profile Spotlight article. He took this incredible image below with his Sony Alpha 9 II and Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G, and you can learn all about how he did it in his article, Behind The Shot: The Million Dollar Photo Of A Cardinal In Flight. You can also learn more about the gear he uses in his What’s In My Bag article. Follow his account to see more dynamic bird photography.

Eva Dorman – @evadormanphotography

Eva Dorman is a Sony photographer who enjoys documenting nature, birds and landscapes. On her Instagram account you will see she has photographed a great variety of birds and other animals. She photographed this stunning great gray owl perched in a snowfall with her Sony Alpha 9 II and the Sony 600mm f/4 G Master. Follow her to see what she captures next.

Mark Smith Photography – @mark.smith.photography

Wildlife photographer Mark Smith’s authentic images provide a raw perspective that pulls you in for a closer look at the world around us. On his Instagram you’ll find a diverse portfolio of wildlife photos and videos that help to tell the story from the animal’s point of view. He took this shot of juvenile eagles with the Sony Alpha 7R IV and Sony 600mm f/4 G Master lens. See more of his thoughts on this combo for bird photography here.

Alexandre Crouzet – @alxczrt

French photographer Alexandre Crouzet lives in British Columbia and photographs the beautiful wild animals and nature the area has to offer. His imagery has a dark and moody tone that makes the mystery found in nature a focal point of his work. He took this shot of a sleepy owl below with the Sony Alpha 7R III and the Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G lens. Check out his account for more adorable nature in your feed.

Nathan and Jess Jones – @nathan_and_jess_jones

Nathan and Jess Jones are hobbyist bird and wildlife photographers based in the UK. Using both their Sony Alpha 7R IV and Sony Alpha 9 cameras, they capture birds of all shapes, sizes and colors. They captured this image of a flying barn owl on a cold winter morning with the Sony Alpha 9 and Sony 400mm f/2.8 G Master. Follow their account for an inside look at their impressive portfolio of bird photography.

Tom Wilkins – @wilkins.wildlife

Tom Wilkins is a wildlife and macro photographer based in the UK. Insects, rodents, birds…you’ll find all of the world’s smallest and brightest creatures as you scroll through his Instagram feed. He captured this sharp shot of a red kite bird below using his Sony Alpha 7 III and Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G lens. Follow him to see what he documents next.

James Sengul – @jamessengul

James Sengul is a freelance photographer and videographer. He’s been a genuine enthusiast for more than 30 years, and climate change is what brought Sengul to want to document wildlife. On his Instagram you’ll find a wide variety of birds in their natural habitats. He switched to Sony when he started photographing wildlife, and he captured this image below with his Sony Alpha 7R IV. It’s not his first experience photographing short-eared owls and northern harriers in winter. Read more about his past experience in his Photo of the Day article.

Razak Photography – @razakphotography

Razak is a New Jersey-based photographer who specializes in wildlife, landscape and portraits. Whether it be mid-flight or mid-swim, he gets those perfectly-timed bird shots using the speed and sharpness of his Sony Alpha 1. Scroll through his account to see more colorful shots of birds in action. He took this beautiful owl image with his Sony Alpha 1 and Sony 600mm f/4 G Master lens.