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Bald eagle ON water
Feb 4, 2013 22:05:44   #
Roy Hakala Loc: Red Wing, MN
 
I watched eagles at a distance across the Mississippi until my fingers got too cold to press the shutter. Some really serious eagle-watchers had been there for hours and finally gave up, getting only a few fly-by shots. Then, as I was hiking back to the car, this eagle swooped in and grabbed a fish just out of my sight. i walked toward it and saw the eagle holding the fish down on the ice until it stopped wiggling. Then it flew off.

Getting suspicious of my approach
Getting suspicious of my approach...

Slightly different pose
Slightly different pose...

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Feb 4, 2013 22:49:45   #
cosmo54 Loc: Easton, PA but will travel for photos
 
Look at the size of those feet& talons! Great catch

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Feb 5, 2013 11:20:50   #
Tom O Loc: Wisconsin
 
Roy,

Great shots.

I really like the way you captured the feathered look on Eagle's back.

When I went up your way last month, I only need to go as far as the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Wi and then over the river to Read's Landing along MN 77 to see lots of Eagles.

Can you supply the exif data on these shots, I really would like to learn from your experience.

Thanks and again Great Shots,

Tom

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Feb 7, 2013 20:10:46   #
bhowdy Loc: Maryville, Tennessee
 
Wonderful photos Roy! :thumbup:

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Feb 8, 2013 12:18:34   #
birdpix Loc: South East Pennsylvania
 
Interesting pictures, Roy! Looks like you were shooting on an overcast but still bright day. Getting the exposure right on a bird like the Eagle with a white head and very dark body can be difficult. The exposure in the second photo has been increased but I can't tell without the exif data whether that was done in camera or in PP. In any event the crown of the Eagle in the second picture is blown out-overexposed - but the remainder of the photo is quite good. There is plenty of detail in the feathers. In the future, look to expose the white part of the bird as high as you can without overexposing. Turning on the blinkies will help. That way you will retain detail in the highlights and hopefully in the shadow areas, too. In Post Processing you can turn down the highlights a little and bring up the shadows some to get a more balanced exposure.

The "blinkies" is a setting on the camera that shows, on the LCD, any areas that are overexposed by having them blink. It's a handy feature for difficult exposure situations.

A little closer crop will enhace the pictures, too.

Keep shooting!

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Feb 13, 2013 09:48:32   #
GeneM Loc: Upstate PA
 
Roy Hakala wrote:
I watched eagles at a distance across the Mississippi until my fingers got too cold to press the shutter. Some really serious eagle-watchers had been there for hours and finally gave up, getting only a few fly-by shots. Then, as I was hiking back to the car, this eagle swooped in and grabbed a fish just out of my sight. i walked toward it and saw the eagle holding the fish down on the ice until it stopped wiggling. Then it flew off.


:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: Nice pics. Take advantage of any BE photo ops. Thanks for sharing.

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