Bald Eagle Portrait
A Bald Eagle about to take off.
A Bald Eagle about to take off.
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Mar, 2016Views
2581
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Awards
Member Selection Award
Featured
Contest Finalist in Celebrating Nature Photography Day Photo Contest 2016
Spring Selection Award
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Virtuoso
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the Hawk Conservancy Trust in Andover, Hampshire, United Kingdom. I had unexpectedly ended up with a free afternoon and had popped in to have a look around as some friends had recently been there and were raving about how good it was for photography.Time
This was taken at about 4 p.m.They had just finished the last flying display of the day and were doing a question and answer session. The sun was starting to get quite low on the horizon and we were heading into the Golden Hour.Lighting
This is all natural lighting. One of those situations where you have no control over the lighting or position of your subject, you just have to accept what's there and go with it.Equipment
This was taken on a Nikon D7200 with a 16-year-old second hand Sigma 70-200 2.8. Proving you don't need the latest or most expensive gear to get a decent shot.Inspiration
I love wildlife, especially birds of prey. Having just watched an excellent display by the team at The Hawk Conservancy Trust and with the animal just sitting there having a look around, it was the obvious shot to go for. The bird wasn't sitting quite as I would have liked to frame the shot perfectly, but that nature photography. You have to go with what's there rather than aim for the perfect pose.Editing
This was processed in lightroom to get the levels right, bring out the shadows and remove a very annoying dust spot on my sensor. other than that nothing major was done to it.In my camera bag
My standard for wildlife and live music photography is to have a 17-50 2.8 a 70-200 2.8 and 35/50 1.8 primes on me. As the 70-200 is old and second-hand none of them are especially expensive lenses but with this collection, I have a wide variety of focal lengths and the ability to shoot in low light if needed. The D7200 is yet again not a high-end expensive camera, but it does the job well enough and has the all-round flexibility to get a decent shot in most situation. Obviously, I would like better gear, but the setup I have is relatively cheap and will get the job done.Feedback
I give the same advice to anyone who ask's for it. Get out there and shoot. Experiment. Try different things and don't be afraid to fail. The best way to learn is by doing. So get out there and shoot something.
