KarieGonor

Beak to Beak

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

settings

Aperture f/8 ISO 400 Shutter 1/320 Focal Length 560/1

upload_date

Apr, 2017

Views

362

Likes

+33

Awards

Contest Finalist in Majestic Eagles Photo Contest

Peer Award

Superb Composition

Top Choice

Outstanding Creativity

Magnificent Capture

All Star

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 2

Top 10 rank week 1

See all

Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

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Leopard hunting for her cub, Kruger National Park, South Africa

If you look closely, you can see where the baby whale just went below the surface

Early morning at the Hood Canal in Hoodsport, Washington. View taken from Sunrise Motel.

Behind The Lens

Location

A pair of Bald eagles return to their nest strategically placed in a Pine tree at Smith Rock State Park in Oregon. They had a single eaglet this year named Solo.

Time

The best time of day to photograph these eagles is early morning before it gets too warm and while to eagles are actively hunting and feeding. It is also a good time to photograph before sunset.

Lighting

In wild life photography I prefer to have the sun behind me and photograph towards where my shadow is pointing. This way I can have a subject without harsh shadows. There is not an option of moving around to get this perfect position at this specific location since I stand near the edge of a cliff and photograph the eagles from about 200 feet away across a canyon. The best lighting possible is early morning and dusk.

Equipment

This image was taken with a Canon 7d Mark ii, a 100-400mm lens which was a total of 562mm total. I used a Really Right Stuff tripod and ball head. With the increased distance it was ideal to have the camera as stable as possible.

Inspiration

I visit Smith Rock State Park often. I had heard that there were Eagles in the area that were protected by the State Park and in my search for information I came across George Lepp's spectacular images and his projects. I was instantly inspired. I made it out to Smith to photograph the Eagles on three different occasions that year. It was fascinating to see how quickly the eaglet was growing and appreciate the relationship between the parents and eaglet.

Editing

I did post-processing in Lightroom, Photoshop and Nik Software. In Lightroom I paid close attention to the highlights and exposure being careful not to overexpose the white feathers. I also like to use Tin Man Lee's advice and increase the blue saturation. In Photoshop I spend time on sharpening the subject and decreasing background noise. I frequently use Nik Software for brightening the center of my image to bring the viewers attention to the subject.

In my camera bag

As this image was taken last year, I have since switched to Nikon. My favorite Gura Gear wildlife bag contains a Nikon D4s and Nikon D500. The Nikon 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II lens enables me to keep a far distance from my subject avoid compromising their welfare. For closer subjects I use the 70-200mm. I also occasionally use a 1.7 teleconverter to give me extra reach. The RRS tripod and a Wimberly head are great for birds in flight. When I am able to, I rent the Nikon 500mm or 600mm lenses.

Feedback

Patience is a virtue. I would spend several hours each visit waiting. It may seem like forever before the adult would return or the eaglet would peak out of the nest. It is also really important to learn everything you can about your subject. By learning when and what they eat and when they fledge it makes it easier to anticipate what will happen next! One thing that I didn't realize at first was that some of my telephoto images were not sharp because heat waves bend the light and confuse the camera's AF system. After getting an early start and avoiding the hottest part of the day my images began to appear sharper. In wildlife photography it is always important to respect them and their habitat. You will not interfere with them in anyway, such as baiting, being too close or leaving a trace. Know your gear. You may want to make a sudden change and wouldn't want to lose the action while you fumble. Most of all, smile as you wait. Enjoy the fresh air and quiet.

See more amazing photos, follow KarieGonor

KarieGonor

KarieGonor

Beak to Beak

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow KarieGonor

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