Tom and I celebrate great images from workshop participants by selecting a Photo of the Month. For November we chose an image taken on our Chilkat Eagles Workshop. The image was taken by Marni Nagy on a snowy day on the Chilkat River in Alaska. Marni’s creativity extends to her business as well. Check out Capturing Couture to see her beautiful, custom camera straps. Perfect item for the Holidays!
Congratulations to November 2023 ‘s featured photographer – Marni Nagy
The Story…
I was off to the side. I got a different angle than everyone else. One of the eagles, the one I call Mohawk, was the aggressor all week. Based on her size, I think she was a female. She was often the one going after other eagles. I have the before and after sequence from this image. The eagle who had the fish flipped over and had it’s back on the ground to get it’s talons in the air.
I didn’t realize that eagles were scavengers. Eagles would grab a salmon and bring it out of the river and then another eagle would come in and take it. There were plenty of fish to go around in the river.
I was working on protecting my ISO. This was my biggest learning from the workshop. Tom and I discussed exposure compensation vs ISO. He recommended giving up exposure compensation to have a lower ISO.
Having a day of snow was just magical. Even the grasses became pictures.
EXIF Data:
Camera: Nikon D850
Lens: Sigma 150-600 mm at 600 mm
Aperture: f6.3
Shutter: 1/2500 sec
ISO: 1100
Mode: Manual, auto ISO
Exposure Comp +.3
About Photographing in the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve
I had never been to Alaska. Only to Colorado. I feel like the vistas in Alaska were much grander than in Colorado. When the fog rolled in I could really get the layers with the trees. The mountains were stunning. I turned my landscape into a black and white image. There were so many layers of majesty.
The number of eagles made it very easy to find a photo. The difficulty was to find a picture that showed the quantity of eagles. I wish I had gotten a better shot of just how many eagles were sitting there. It was just amazing.
Marni’s Tips for Photographing Eagles
Tip 1
Go to the right place. At Chilkat the eagles were all right there.
Tip 2
You needed to have patience. Some of the groups would leave after 20 minutes because there were no eagles. The eagles would always show up if you waited long enough.
Tip 3
I was at 600mm most of the time. Bring a long enough lens.
Tip 4
Try using manual mode, with auto ISO for wildlife. I had not shot in manual before. I will use this again. I used the group area tracking in the D850 and liked the results.
On Marni’s Horizon:
Bosque
Iceland
Northern Lights
Tom and Cree are headed to Bosque for the last 2 workshops of the year. Sandhill cranes fly through vibrant New Mexico skies as they land on the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge. For the last two days of the trip we photograph soft hues of pink and blue over the dramatic dunes at White Sands National Park. Keep an eye on Facebook and Instagram for posts.
The Northern Lights have been spectacular in Fairbanks this fall. Get in on the action on our Northern Lights and Iditarod Workshop in March 2024. Three spaces available. Click here to learn more.
Thanks for following our posts!
Tom and Cree
