Winging it
Canon EOS 6D Mark II
Aperture f/6.3 ISO 5000 Shutter 1/1600 Focal Length 600/1 
Tennessee, US
May, 2019Views
358
Likes
Awards
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 22
Spring 21 Award
Celebrity Award
Contest Finalist in Animals With Wings Photo Contest
Absolute Masterpiece
Peer Award
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Virtuoso
Superior Skill
Emotions
Impressed
Happy
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo from a pontoon boat on the Hiwassee River. Luckily it was a calm day because I shot this freehand. I took a series of shots of this same Eagle eating on the river bank and deciding he had enough and flew off to the west.Time
This was taken on our way back to shore around the golden hour around 7 pm. I consider it one of my best "bonus" shots which in my world means that I was not prepared with a tripod. The glow of the setting sun and the ability to stop him in his tracks makes it one of my favorites to date.Lighting
The golden hour always provides the best light for shooting on the river. Second choice is a cloudy day with mood!Equipment
I used my Canon 6D Mark ii with my 600 mm Sigma lens.Inspiration
A lot of people do not know that the Hiwassee River and surrounding areas, encompassing the Tennessee River, have numerous sets of Bald Eagles. I am a wildlife photographer at heart and the Eagles around the Tennessee River have piqued my interest in all things Eagle. The Hiwassee Island is a refuge for Eagles that started many years ago due to the decline in Bald Eagles in the 70's. Since then there has been a resurgence of Eagles within this refuge and throughout the Hiwassee and Tennessee Rivers.Editing
I use Lightroom exclusively I do tend to overexpose a bit since most of my shots are not a setup and really it is " on the go" or "just in time" photography. I usually use the exposure setting making it darker and saturate due to my inability to change my settings while the sun sets or rises in 2 seconds or less. Because I like to have the wings or feathers have some depth I also add detail to most images while trying to make the brown, the real brown seen by the naked eye. I do this by stripping out some of the red tint.In my camera bag
I am only a one-trick pony. I have one camera body which is a 6D Mark ii. I have a Sigma 600mm telescopic lens. I have a Canon 50 mm lens that I use rarely and a Canon 85 mm that I love. I always have a hood on my lens when shooting outside during any daylight sessions and I keep my lens clean with a cleaning cloth I use constantly.Feedback
Be ready at any moment. You never know when you will run up, float up, or climb up on something that will force you to shoot without a tripod, Take a breath, hold steady and fire away!
