Hunting
An eagle perched in a Baobab tree waiting for the full moon to shine on its prey in Tarangire NP, Tanzania.
An eagle perched in a Baobab tree waiting for the full moon to shine on its prey in Tarangire NP, Tanzania.
Read less
Read less
Feb, 2016Views
150
Likes
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Peer Award
Love it
Magnificent Capture
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 30 rank
Top 30 rankTop 30 rank week 1
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
I was headed back to camp in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania, after a late day photographing hundreds of elephants by the river. When I looked up to see the full moon I noticed this eagle in the top of a Baobab tree. It took a little forward/reverse moving of the car to line up this shot and the moon was moving faster than you would imagine so I only managed a couple frames.Time
This was at dusk with a full moon quickly rising.Lighting
It was tricky to make this picture because the moon was so bright so I shot in manual to be sure to try and get some light in the shadows as well. But the key was to not blow out the moon or else the nice orange definition would have been lost. I learned a long time ago that you can save the shadows but you can't save overexposed areas.Equipment
I was using a Nikon d800 with a Sigma 150-500 lens at 500mm. The trick was to put the heavy lens on a bag of rice that I always take on safari. I find that a bag of rice is better than a tri or mono pod since I'm shooting out of the roof of a car. It's easier for space and quick changes as well as great at absorbing car vibrations if I have to make a shot while the car is running (not ideal).Inspiration
It was just a fun personal challenge to see if I could maneuver the car into position to line the rising moon up with this raptor before it flew off or the moon moved. I love challenges like this in photography that make us try new things and enjoy the experience.Editing
I used Lightroom to lift the shadows using the basic slider. Then I used the dodge and burn tool to decrease the highlights on the moon so it wasn't blown out and the orange texture was still visible. Finally I reduced the 'noise' a little to make the sky a bit smoother than it had become when I bumped the shadows.In my camera bag
I'm always using my D800 and tend to carry my Tokina 11-16mm and nikkor 24-70mm lens. When I will be gone for a few days in urban areas I will also take my 50mm 1.4 which is excellent for low light street photography. If I head to remote areas with wildlife I'll pack my 150-500mm Sigma but that lens is a beast to carry around and I really just use it for wildlife. My iphone and gopro always make the trip too.Feedback
Set your camera to manual exposure for these kinds of pictures. The camera will be very confused by the intense contrast otherwise. Also, if you put your focus at single area/center focus it helps too so you can decide what to focus on, not the camera because in low light like this it would likely focus on the moon most of the time. Shooting in manual is hard to get used to but ultimately it enables you to use the camera as your voice. Also, just have fun explore the places and stories you enjoy.
