A young Bald Eagle
A young Bald Eagle rests.
A young Bald Eagle rests.
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Nov, 2014Views
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Awards
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Staff Winter Selection 2015
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Peer Award
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Emotions
Impressed
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 2
Top 20 rank
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo of a young Bald Eagle at the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale, Alberta Canada, where thousands of birds are rehabilitated from being injured each year in Southern Alberta. Their mission and vision is not only to rehabilitate and release injured birds of prey back into the wild, but also to captivate breeding and release of endangered species. Additionally, they study and monitor wild birds of prey populations and just as important, encourage positive habitat stewardship through increased public environmental awareness. Sadly, some birds of prey and other birds are non-releasable but they use the birds for public environmental education programs in schools, provincial and national parks so they still have a purpose. This is the same place where I took the photo of the blind Golden Eagle aptly named Spirit by school children because of what the eagle had to endure after being sprayed with bullets.Time
This photo was taken in the late afternoon with natural sunlight shining down on the area where I was standing. The birds are kept outside when the weather is good. I was actually rushing to make it to the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale, Alberta from Writing on Stone Provincial Park just south of there where the hieroglyphs are thousands of years old so both places were interesting from a photography perspective. Since the Centre closed at 5 p.m., I got there at approximately 4:15 p.m. in the afternoon so I didn't have much time to photos. What I loved about this Bald Eagle was the interplay of colors in its feathers. I have never seen a bird with this combination of colors so striking. Being a Graphic Designer and Writer, it propelled me to stop and take some photos and I wondered what the story was behind this eagle's presence at the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre. Plus, this eagle was calm compared to some of the other birds that were upset they couldn't fly. It was actually very sad. I could feel the pain of the birds losing their freedom to move where and when they wanted. The eagle's cries were piercing and the sound stayed with me for a few days. They have a strong energy that is unflinching even when they are suffering.Lighting
I prefer to utilize natural light because I think it gives a realistic feel to a photograph. I don't like using filters to create all sorts of color effects because nature is beautiful enough. I prefer to see it this way but as photographers, we all have different ways of perceiving the world around us and how we want to share it with others so to each his or her own. I understand that there is a place for creating different lighting effects but really, the interplay of colors and design on the feathers of this young Bald Eagle is striking so why alter something that's so natural, so beautiful?Equipment
I used my Nikon D7000 DSLR with my Nikkor AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens. It's my favorite lens. I use it to take photographs of wildlife all the time. I will be graduating to a full frame camera soon. I did not use a tripod because I couldn't move around as much to follow the birds. They move all the time. I guess they are restless because they can't fly so I had to be restless with them to take a good photo! When I took this photo of the young Bald Eagle, it stopped moving for just a few seconds. I didn't use a flash because it was sunny.Inspiration
Even though I grew up in Toronto, Ontario Canada, eagles have followed me around all of my life - physically, figuratively, through synchronistic events, in dreams etc. I have this uncanny connection to them and what it means I have yet to understand. After I moved to Calgary, Alberta, I saw them more frequently. When I first saw the rescue Golden Eagle named Spirit at a live exhibit while attending the Canmore Festival of Eagles, I was determined to drive to Coaldale, Alberta the following summer to visit the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre. In the future, I intend to assist in the rehabilitation of wildlife as a volunteer for the Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society. My ancestors were actually Falcon breeders in Northeastern Spain so the love of birds and the strong connection to them is definitely present in me as well.Editing
I did not do much post-processing. The bird was beautiful as is. I just sharpened the photo a bit since there is anti-aliasing on my camera and sometimes I find that the Nikon D7000 forces me to sharpen my photos frequently.In my camera bag
Usually I carry with me the 18-105mm DX VR lens that came with the Nikon D7000 DSLR and my Nikkor AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens, some lens cleaner, cloths, some air, my clear filters, 2 lens hoods, a notebook and some pens. That's about it. I don't carry around a tripod although I may in the future when I buy a full frame camera so I can take some spectacular landscape photos. I am a big fan of the THINK TANK brand of products. I bought my camera, lenses, and THINK TANK camera bag at The Camera Store in Calgary, Alberta because they have the best prices in town and they've won numerous consecutive yearly awards for great customer service in Calgary.Feedback
My advice to anyone who is going to take photographs of wildlife is to be patient and aware. Animals have personalities and they do sense people very well. Be respectful. Experiment as much as possible with different angles but keep a safe distance away depending on the animal of course. Don't be afraid to get a little dirty by lying on the ground to take what could be the photo of your life, whether you're an amateur or a professional photographer. Photography is a great way to interact with the world around you. Explore it. Embrace creativity. Have fun. If you're taking photos of wildlife, do your research because it's better to be cautious since they can be unpredictable. I almost fell out of a tree once while taking a photo of a hawk that was eluding me. Since I was raised in the city and not accustomed to climbing trees, I didn't do my research on how not to climb up a tree and position myself. It wasn't funny at the time but I reminisce and laugh now. I will leave you with a quote from Henry David Thoreau, my favorite writer and environmentalist. In my opinion, he defines what being a photographer is in one sentence: "The world is but a canvas to the imagination.†Albert Einstein supports this philosophy with his complementary famous quote: "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand."
