predator flight
..a female osprey hovers over the St Johns River, near her nest. I am always impressed with ospreys...
..a female osprey hovers over the St Johns River, near her nest. I am always impressed with ospreys...
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Feb, 2013Views
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Runner Up in Feathers In Black And White Photo Contest
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This image was captured while in a kayak on the fascinating St. Johns River in NE Florida. Typically, an osprey will hover over a potential fish prey before a stunning dive into the water. I was fortunate enough to be just beneath her before the plunge...and yes, she was successful!Time
It was just after mid day in the spring, and the sky was cloudless. This female osprey was working hard to feed her two young fledglings. The sun and the still waters provided the perfect fishing environment for her.Lighting
The sun was high above the osprey, so I used the back lighting and transparency of the feathers to display detail, along with the reflection off her back... oh yeah, I have lost two cameras to the water in the last three years trying to get the right angle and balance in the kayak...its easy to get caught up in the moment.Equipment
I used a Nikon D200 with a 70-200 2.8. My favorite lens...Inspiration
As an ecologist, I love getting out into our wonderful environment on the St Johns River and other small tributaries. I am fascinated with not just the native wildlife here, but with their habits, movements, and unique traits. Each species has its own "special" adaptations that has allowed it to survive in often hostile environments. Ospreys are most impressive to me because of the raw power and grace of their flight. I was trying my best to capture an image that represented those magnificent elements.Editing
Minimal. I converted to black and white as the colors tended to distract, and increased the contrast slightly.In my camera bag
For kayaking on the waters, a 35mm prime and the 70-200 2.8....and...some really good dry bags! I have learned the hard way that a very stable kayak helps.Feedback
If ospreys are in the area, and the subject you wish to photograph, watch patterns for a while. Typically, they are very heavy fishers in the spring, when they have young to feed. They will nearly always build their nests on dead trees or posts, channel markers or power line poles. (Please do not approach or disturb the nests). Watch for bodies of water nearby where they will likely be feeding. The osprey has excellent eyesight, and will soar over waters searching for small to medium fish along the surface. Once it sights the prey, it will hover in place, projecting the angle of the fish, and the environment, and usually dropping into a very, very fast plunge into the water. That hover point is where you can get the flight displays, but capturing the impact at the water and the fish catch is amazing as well.... Also, the osprey will nearly always carry the fish head in an aerodynamic position first as it flies towards a perch or nest. As a bonus, during certain times of the year, eagles, being much larger will harass an osprey who has caught a fish (ospreys are much better fishing birds) and you can photograph the interaction in flight. Of course, I am always rooting for the osprey, as it did all the work in the capture...
