Majestic Eagles
Photo Contest

"This image, “Flying with Prey” is breathtakingly excellent. Eagles are difficult to photograph well. Exposing for the feathers of the body while not over-exposing the head is a challenge that relies on the right light, plus excellent technique in-camera and finesse during post processing. The photographer captured the exposure perfectly in this image. All of the detail in the wings, wingtip-to-wingtip are perfectly focused and exposed. The head feathers retain detail. The prey is perfectly sharp and the way its head is tilted back evokes such emotion. The way the eagle’s eyes are perfectly sharp and its looking downward toward the ground evokes feelings of accomplishment—as if its journey to find prey has finally ended and it can now sustain itself for another day. The background is very supportive of the scene – not distracting at all. The composition is beautiful. Lots of balance and the eye can flow pleasingly throughout the image. The STORY it tells is amazing…. I am just in love with the image. For these reasons, this image clawed its way to the top among many worthy submissions. Congratulations – very well done!" - Lisa Langell

"“Gladiators” is a great title for this beautifully photographed image of two eagles fighting for what I imagine is prey. I love the composition, the diagonal line between the two sets of eyes and how they interplay. The unconventional crop of the wings is a smart move, keeping the viewer engaged with the eyes back-and-forth, yet we all know those gorgeously huge wings are there. The exposure is perfect—and in a snowy scene, that can be especially challenging given the high contrast. The whites are not overexposed, yet the darks retain detail. The focus and sharpness is spot- on. This all demonstrates a nice balance between in-camera technique and delicate post-processing skill. Very well done. I love the action and the flying snow, too. It tells a beautiful story and showcases how majestic and powerful these birds truly are. This image deserves to be recognized." - Lisa Langell

"I cannot imagine how thrilling photographing this moment must have been for the photographer. Watching—let alone capturing this scene through the lens had to be heart-poundingly fun! It is tricky to expose for whites in the snow without them turning blue. It’s also difficult to get correct focus in this scene with quickly moving subjects and eyes that are often not going to be on/near the same plane (making it nearly impossible to capture without having either the eagle’s or fox’s eyes out-of-focus in the same frame). This is a great shot that shows the majestic nature of the eagle, plus the interaction with a fox. The story and “communication” they have is powerful and this image keeps me in it for a very long time, wondering, admiring and flitting back and forth between the eagle and fox. The composition is lovely and so is the processing. This is a very nice image and it definitely stood out to me for its unique nature and captivating story. Again, this was a very difficult competition with many wonderful action shots, but the uniqueness of this image, plus the technical excellence put it in my top three!" - Lisa Langell