Tom and I want to celebrate the great images being created on our workshops by posting a photograph each month from one of our workshops that best captures the environment or people of that location.
Congratulations to November’s photographer – Lee Brissey
The Story:
On our second day we were photographing a wide variety of bald eagles feeding on chum salmon along the gravel bar of the Chilkat river. While we all captured many interesting images of feeding and bird behavior, this one immediately caught my attention as a poignant image of an instant in time. The eagle talons holding down the spent-out chum salmon symbolized the power of predator. While it happened in an instant flip, I was certain that predator and prey connected in that ageless migration ritual. It’s impossible to look at that image and not get a bit reflective about the circle of life.
The Location:
The Chilkat River landscape was exceptional with distant mountains accentuated by fresh snow and wonderful cloud/mist patterns providing an ever-changing backdrop to the scene. When the sun peaked out we had beautiful low-angle back-lighting to illuminate wings of eagles in flight and birds resting on logs and in perches along the riverbank. But in addition to the sights, the continuous sounds of the river burbling by and the endless cries of seagulls and calls of eagles made the place come alive.
The Data: Nikon D850, 200-500 mm lens 1/1600 at f5.6 ISO 900 Manual mode
Photo Tip from the Photographer:
The usual advice about being patient and watchful is not new. Some of my best images came out of scenes that emerged without warning and were gone in a flash. I was just lucky. And I learned again to pay attention to the changing light conditions and adjust accordingly. Periodically step back and adjust to the scene by rechecking whether settings/histogram are appropriate to the conditions. I learned some of this the hard way again this year.
On the Horizon:
- Costa Rica in April
- Bosque del Apache & White Sands in New Mexico
To learn about the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and Haliaeetus leucocephalus click here