White-tailed Sea Eagle

[Steve Kaluski]

One area that has always eluded me is BIF and so when a very good/old friend suggested I hooked up with with him and two others I thought it was about time I got out of my comfort zone.

We all had the same kit and within the day all knew our settings & configurations for the cameras bodies. The noticeable difference with this type of photography was the Firmware update a while ago, which I never really highlighted itself previously with Wildlife, but suddenly with these subjects boy the camera bodies really excelled, something I'm sure Artie, Arash, David etc have already noted.

Back to the image, shot approximately 25m away from our 20ft aluminium skiff, rocking and rolling in the middle of a Norwegian fjord, in windy conditions, not every day was it sunny I might add. Kudos to those who shoot BIF, this was one of the hardest situations I've ever been in. After three hours out, shooting with the 200-400 boy did my arms ache or what and the pitching of the skiff illustrated just how hard keeping both subject and tracking all in line. Anyway enough of the excuses here is a white-tailed Sea eagle coming in.

Steve

Subject: White-tailed Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)
Location: Norway
Camera: Canon 1DX MKII
Lens: 200-400f/4 HH
Exposure: 1/2500s at f/6.3 ISO1000
Original format: Landscape, very slightly cropped
Processed via: LRCC & PSCC2017

[William Dickson]

Very nice Steve. Fantastic flight pose you captured and the colours on the bird look spot on. I like the HA which shows the powerful bill on this bird. Lovely details throughout. Looks like you had a great time.

Will

[Steve Kaluski]

Cheers Will, now I know why they are called the flying 'Barn Doors' they are huge birds.

[Joseph Przybyla]

Welcome back, my friend. Wonderful image, the clenched talons, intense stare, wings flared, all contributing to a dynamic capture. The new cameras are so good, my D500 enables my to capture flight images I could never have done with the D7000. Thank you for sharing, Steve.

[Steve Kaluski]

The new cameras are so good, my D500 enables my to capture flight images I could never have done with the D7000.

Indeed Joe and thanks for the feedback. If you are 'in the market' having seen some of the stuff not out there, I would certainly by the D850 with some bolt-ons, outstrips the D5 easily. :w3

[Glenn Pure]

Well for hardly any BIF experience and from a small rocking boat, this is a top shot. Great detail, tone and colour (although I'd be tempted to lift the shadowed underwing a bit). This is one mean-looking bird. Your comp and framing work well too. Thanks for sharing.

[Alex Becker]

Top notch shot -- great pose, details, and light. I'm not usually the biggest fan of the blue sky BG but here it works quite well. Interesting this one has the single brown tip on the white tail. Nice DOF. Especially impressive shot given it was off a small boat. TFS

[Mike Hitchen]

Awesome! I would not want to be on the other end of that stare!

For someone with not much BIF experience you have a real winner here. I think the light on the right underwing just about lets you get away with the shadow on the other wing.

[David Salem]

Looks great Steve! Come to think of it, I haven't seen many flight frames from you.. That looks like a good subject to start with. Nice pose with the dangling legs and I like the head angle also. Love the primaries. A few shadows but it doesn't hurt the image much. I'm looking forward to more flight frames from you. Well done

[Steve Kaluski]

Thanks folks.


For someone with not much BIF experience you have a real winner here.

The main reason for going Mike, was to push myself and the gear, plus, to get out of a very 'comfy' zone of shooting. Perhaps not the wisest of choices, bobbing in a very small boat, but you might as well start at the deep end as they say. Still a lot to build on.


A few shadows but it doesn't hurt the image much. I'm looking forward to more flight frames from you.

We always tried to position ourselves with the sun behind us, but in it's nature, the boat would twist & turn, plus you have no idea which way the bird is going to come in on. All good fun David and I now realise just how hard you guys work to get the birds of prey images over the years. :S3: