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Ridgefield National Wildlife Area, Washingbton State

Ridgefield National Wildlife Area, Washingbton State
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upload_dateFeb, 2017

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Contest Finalist in Anything Animals Photo Contest
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5 Comments |
Eddieuuu071 Platinum
 
Eddieuuu071 April 24, 2017
Wow!
Neckbone
 
Neckbone June 08, 2017
Great shot!
brianfkirkham Platinum
 
brianfkirkham June 24, 2017
Great image
RickL PRO+
 
RickL April 20, 2019
Great photo
Hood PRO+
 
Hood January 02, 2020
Wow!!!!

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Tags

#wildlife #bird #flight #raptor #wings #nature #animals #eagle #bald #juvenile
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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was captured at Ridgefield National Wildlife refuge. It is in Western Washington State about a 3 hour drive south of Seattle. Between the months of November and May you are not allowed to get out of your car. They have a road that circles through the refuge. The advantage to that is that your vehicle acts as a blind and you disturb the wildlife less. Plus on rainy days like when this photo was taken, you have the protection of being in your car. It takes about an hour to slowly cruise through the loop. I usually try to arrive at dawn and do 4 or 5 loops in a day. Each loop you see something different.

Time

I had been shooting all morning in the rain. There were lost of ducks, a few herons and a couple of hawks. You don't see many bald eagles up close there. I decided to drive one last loop and then head home. Towards the end of the loop, this juvenile bald eagle (They don't get their white heads until they are full adults.) was sitting in the rain on a berm parallel to the road about window height. The time of day was about 2:00 pm. He didn't seem to be bothered by me and just sat there checking out the scene.

Lighting

The day was an overcast, rainy day. A little dark but soft, even lighting. I like stormy, rainy days because they add additional interest to the photos. It is a good thing because we have a lot of them in the Pacific Northwest.

Equipment

This photo was taken with a Canon 5D Mark III and a Tamron 150-600mm zoom at 600mm, 1600 ISO and f/8 resting on a bean bag. I find that particular lens is sharpest at f/8. I have since replaced it with the Sigma 150-600mm which seems to be sharper.

Inspiration

I love bald eagles. Especially juveniles. They have such expressive eyes and beautiful colors. To find one you are not looking up at is a real plus. I felt a little sorry for the guy being in the rain. Birds don't seem to mind rain much. though

Editing

The only post possessing was cropping. The original was of his whole body. I thought the head and shoulders showed off the rain drops and his expression better.

In my camera bag

I use Canon bodies. Not because I think they are the best - they are excellent cameras - but because they keep the controls the same. That translates to a shorter learning curve for an old dog like me when I upgrade. My bodies are a 5D Mk III, 7D Mk II and a M6 mirrorless. For the 5D and 7D I carry the Sigma 150-600, Canon 28-105mm and a Tamron 15-30mm. For the M6 I have the 18-55mm, 55-200mm and 11-22mm wide angle. The M6 mirrorless is great for travel because it is so light and small. I typically use the 7D for long telephoto shots of wildlife. The smaller sensor gives it more reach. Also, it is 10 frames per second for catching moving subjects like birds in flight.

Feedback

The best advice for shooting on rainy days is to keep your lens hood on. Telephotos have such big hoods that the raindrops never come near your lens. Carry an extra micro fiber cloth to wipe off your camera and lens occasionally. When you are shooting from your car, a tripod doesn't really work so well. A bean bag resting on the window works great for me. I raise and lower the window for the right angle. As far as location is concerned, there are hundreds of wildlife refuges across the country. They are relatively close to cities but retain the natural habitat. Since the animals are protected, they feel safe and engage in their natural behavior.

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