Lincoln, a Bald Eagle
Lincoln, a Bald Eagle at the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale, Alberta where they nurture rescue birds of all types....
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Lincoln, a Bald Eagle at the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale, Alberta where they nurture rescue birds of all types.
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Jan, 2015Views
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Awards
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Peer Award
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
All Star
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale, Alberta, Canada. It’s a rehabilitation place for birds of all kinds but in particular, Birds of Prey. I go there specifically to check up on the eagles and see how they are doing. Some of the eagles that I have photographed have passed away in the last few years which is sad for everyone who visits the Centre. People get as emotionally attached to the eagles as they do to the people who visit them every year.Time
I usually arrive at the Centre at 11:30 a.m. and get there as soon as the live exhibit happens. I took this photo in the afternoon following the live exhibit. After Lincoln participated in the live exhibit, he was fed. That’s why I took the photo in the afternoon. Lincoln sadly passed away this year but I have many photos of him in different lighting conditions. He was one of the more even tempered Bald Eagles and the Centre was his home for a long time.Lighting
I prefer to use natural sunlight in my work. I want to make it look as real as possible and let the viewer see what I am seeing. I am a fan of natural light no matter what the setting. I usually shoot with the A setting because I discovered that when I shoot with automatic and if the flash pops up, sometimes the photo is overexposed and I have to delete the shot.Equipment
I use a Nikon D7000 with no flash if I can help it, and no tripod so that I can get the eagles at different angles. This requires me to move around a lot. My favourite lens is the Nikkor 70-300mm.Inspiration
First of all, I love eagles. They are such fascinating birds to take photos of. I learn something new about eagles every time I visit the Centre. Every photo I take of them is different no matter what year I am visiting. I have a history with eagles showing up in dreams and I’ve had other neat experiences with them. Once a young eagle followed me back to work after I went for a walk during lunch. Then a few days later, I see the same eagle sitting on a light post staring down at me as I was riding my bike. An interesting fact is that I lived 20 minutes away from work at the time! I have other stories but I will keep this short. lolEditing
I try to do as little post-processing as possible. As I started experimenting with my Nikon D7000, I got better results. I didn’t have to do as much post processing. If I have blown out highlights, then I fix this in post processing. When the sunlight is bright, often the white part of the eagle’s feathers gets washed out so that’s when I make changes in post processing.In my camera bag
I usually have my Nikon D7000, my kit lens, and my Nikkor 70-300mm lens in my bag along with some cleaning fluid and a hand pump air cleaner that blows away the dust off my lens. The Nikon manual is always in my bag.Feedback
Enjoy life and explore everything in it. Experiment. If photography is your passion, then explore everything life has to offer in people, animals, and your environment. We are all connected. You never know where your passion for photography will take you. Life is a journey. Record it joyfully without expecting anything in return and you might be surprised at what comes back!
