Survival of the Fishiest
This eagle circled 3 times 15 feet above my head, then went for this catfish- and missed.
This eagle circled 3 times 15 feet above my head, then went for this catfish- and missed.
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Aug, 2015Views
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Awards
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Contest Finalist in Survival Photo Contest
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Magnificent Capture
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I live near Lake Menomin, in Wisconsin. Lake Menomin is a great resource for bird and fish photography. Unfortunately, most shots of fish that I get, are fish being held in the talons of eagles and osprey. This fish got lucky. I could have named this photo "not going your way"Time
This was taken in the mid-afternoon in the late spring. The sun was full, and the eagle was turning tight circles above my head. Then, all of a sudden, he swooped down and tried to take this catfish. No luck. The challenge with bird photography in the wild, is that you never know what they will do, when, or from what angle. This makes bird photography the height of challenge, both technically and artistically. Finding a theme, metaphor, or comic angle to my photos is icing on the cake.Lighting
For raptors in action, the more light the better (usually). This allows one to use high shutter speeds to capture detail and keep the focus sharp as birds fly.Equipment
Cannon T3i, outfitted with the Canon 400 mm prime lens. No other special equipment was necessary, except fast reflexes.Inspiration
This type of photography is all about living in the moment, and experiencing what nature is willing to offer at that timepoint. Action photography of birds is a great challenge, where timing, light and ability all have to coalesce to offer me the opportunity to get a great shot. There are many missed opportunities, and that is where all the fun lies. I love watching the eagles, their behaviors; their trials and tribulations. That's good, because we have the highest density of eagles per capita in the continental U.S.Editing
I only make modest corrections to color and sharpening, that allow this photo to be viewed as I saw the action unfold that day.In my camera bag
I usually have my Canon T2i and T3i with me, as well as Canon 400mm prime, and Canon 50-250 lenses. I might or might not carry my flash, but I tend to have a remote shutter cable with me for when I work with a tripod.Feedback
My best advice, is to let nature unfold, and be prepared to make decisions on the fly. You might catch an awesome sight- you may even capture a photograph of it. I keep pretty tight shutter speeds, working in really good light. I also keep track of where animals tend to congregate, and their behaviors in the different seasons.
