Shooting Behavior – Eagle Perspectives Part 3

Well, the extended roadtrip has officially come to the end. We arrived back home to snow on the ground and temperatures our bodies downright reject. To the best of my ability I’ll be covering the sites and sights in the coming months (possibly years ha). The image hopper is officially overflowing due to more than a terabyte of content we managed to bring back with us. Admittedly the shot total was inflated this trip due to my retirement gift to myself – finally gave in and purchased a new camera body. Every photography becomes one with their gear over the years, their babies if you will. Every setting that needed to be changed could be done by muscle memory without ever taking my eye off the subject. Each button, dial, menu setting custom configured to rapidly transition to different scenarios in the field. Similarity to the current body was a key determiner for the replacement – as to be expected there were a few differences and anomalies that have to be familiarized with over time. Missed a lot of shots this trip that irked me every time and for those I dive have time to experiment, the shot count increased tremendously. Fingers crossed we’ll find something in the digital darkroom worth sharing. Question is… how long will it take to get this comfortable with the new rig…

There has been a heavy focus on our national bird this month. Two posts previous and now today’s feature as well. This third and final part of the American Bald Eagle perspectives analysis completes the progression from the traditional shots that have overfilled my digital darkroom to the more interesting angles that has now become the quest in our Eagle outings.

Hit the jump to see a few more interesting perspectives of our majestic bird.

Everyone has their own interests, their likes, dislikes, the emotion grabbers and, as my wife categorizes, the hell no’s. One person’s mistakes can be another’s masterpiece when it comes to photography. It also depends on the type of field work being done. If I’m out after a new bird, prime directive is to get it in the tin any way possible. Once that is accomplished, progress to getting every angle possible and then work on improving the core shots. After that the focus moves to behavior shots with an emphasis on interactions, inter and intra species coupled with survival skills in their environment. It is really in this latter mode where the “interesting images” come to light.

One can debate from the minute you get in the car to head to the field to the very moment you call it a day what it takes to get environment shots. My personal mantra – 80% luck enabled by 20% dedication. The chances you will be in the right place at the right time with the right settings is astronomically small – just finding the subject can be frustrating as hell, much less to get it to do something other than fly away with a large black barrel pointed at it.

The remaining 20% allows you to do something with it when the stars align. You have to get to know your subject beyond the ID characteristics – what does it feed on, when does it hunt, how does it hunt, what habitat does it prefer, what calendar does it follow, are there secondary characteristics to look for – high perches, low perches, moving water, calm water, branches hanging over water etc. Arm yourself with the best equipment (knowledge) to increase the odds.

The most important component is simply experience. The more time in the field the more nuances you can discover. A Tern will give a slight upward thrust right before a making a sharp bank and dropping vertical into the water – set your focus at that very point and simply follow it down to impact. In my experiences, our Eagle friends will make several passes before choosing its victim. The legs will usually drop down on those passes, but when they arch back up to a 45 for greater support on impact, well, that’s when things get serious.

All that is left is to fail and fail and fail again. Each time a little more experienced, some nuance put in the memory banks or a tweak of a camera setting until you get your vision in the tin – then continue trying, continue failing until you get the next keeper (you will probably not even notice it is taking less attempts each time). For me, the challenge is what makes photography so fulfilling. I’ll look at a fuzzy picture with absolute joy if it happens to be the first time I’ve managed to actually get the bird somewhere in the tiny frame. Next goal, get it a little sharper or closer to impact or whatever the case is that moves you to better.

Every once in a while, the 80% luck will combine with 20% you control to get something you are willing to bring out of the darkroom and hang on your refrigerator door for all your visitors to enjoy, and if you are fortunate, even critique. Be sure and take time to look at other refrigerator doors out there to keep inspired. There are amazing photographers out there that simply make my jaw drop based on their experiences and resulting products – clearly they have managed to significantly push the 80% bucket down.

Linda and I had the opportunity to attend the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit at Chicago’s Field Museum back in December 2019 (link here). There are few things that would compel me to go to that city (it’s a downstate thing), but Linda used this exhibit as leverage to get me to go – forget at the moment what she wanted to see up there (maybe the Christmas tree display). Regardless, I’d go back there in a heartbeat as that was the most amazing collection of images I’ve ever seen in one setting. Each picture grabbed my attention, nonstop admiration and personal mental notes as the eyes scanned through every inch of the backlit images on display from all over the world. Linda would eventually tap my shoulder and remind me there were plenty more offerings to get to.

Looking back at the words here, it reads as if I am in any position to give advice when it comes to photography – definitely not the case! Just wanted to highlight a personal transition over these last three posts. I like the direction I’m heading and looking forward to building upon it. Will leave you with two beliefs learned in my development:

• You only get better by being in the field and exercising the shutter finger.
• Never let anyone see the cutting room floor of your digital darkroom.

Hoping you enjoyed a deeper look at an amazing bird. Breathtaking to witness and an appropriate symbol for our great nation