Eagle Aspirations
Nov, 2015Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I love visiting with the eagle ambassadors at the National Eagle Center, in Wabasha, MN. Our corridor along the Mississippi River boasts the highest concentration of eagles per capital in the continental US. And Who knew that eagles have individual personalities? This bald eagle, Columbia, is elegant, wise and personable, and likes to model for the camera. Actually, she was watching eagles pass outside, and I realized that the light streaming through the windows resulted in unique shadows in this profile.Time
This photo really impressed me, capturing the nobility and wisdom of the bald eagle. It was mid-afternoon, and the eagles were intently monitoring the windows, in order to note any trespassers outside. Loudly. But if you are interested in taking photos of eagles flying past, this early warning system is an extremely useful tool for detecting them.Lighting
It's Action Eagle Photo's mission to use natural light to feature wildlife. I see every photo as a chance to communicate the great beauty and strengths of animals, like this bald eagle. This photo is particularly dramatic. Almost wistful. It's tragic to acknowledge that while I was growing up in the area, I didn't even know we should have eagles, since they had nearly been killed off through inappropriate applications of the DDT pesticide. But the eagles we presently have, and the National Eagle Center, are a strong tribute to the work that we can do together to maintain a healthy environment. This photo, to me, strongly communicates both a deep wisdom that we all can share in if we choose to, and also a little bit of sadness, that we might choose paths that harm the great natural resources on this planet.Equipment
This photo was taken with a Canon T2i equipped with a 50-250mm zoom lens. No other equipment was used, and I shot in natural light by handholding the camera.Inspiration
I admire eagles so much that I've named my camera hobby Action Eagle Photo. There's a great deal we can learn about from eagles. One the one hand we can learn about life and work. But there is also a thread not just about what endangered this species, but also the remarkable recovery story. Many people of the First Nations hold eagles in high regard. Eagles may be generalists (ie fishing, hunting and scavenging) but are also survivors. And by the way, eagles are highly prevalent in Southeastern Minnesota. So it was really great to see a lot of these elements come together in this photo, a photo that is both happy and sad, noble and practical.Editing
In general I do as little post-processing as possible to make sure that the viewer sees what I saw. In this case, I just had to darken the photo slightly to emphasize the shadow, and apply a touch of sharpening.In my camera bag
Generally, I prefer a photo vest, which offers maximum maneuverability and also security. I typically have a 50mm lens with me, and a couple of extra memory cards. I generally only take with me, that equipment that I will use to capture photos aligned with the theme I have chosen for the day. Because the National Eagle Center is such a popular place, I respect the crowd, leave the bulky equipment at home.Feedback
I visit the National Eagle Center relatively frequently, getting to know the eagle ambassadors there, and their personalities. It's key that I know the eagles, and have an idea of what they might do and how they might respond to my presence with a camera. The staff and volunteers there are very helpful, and knowledgeable, and have provided a great deal of background on the birds and their personalities. If I see one of the eagles is particularly active, I might hang around to see if it does something interesting. Surely I succeeded with this picture. I've visited other bird sanctuaries too, and before I visit, I find out as much as I can about their facilities and inhabitants, and am constantly looking online to see what photos others have taken of the ambassadors.
