Bald Eagle - Ketchikan, AK

[Ian Cassell]

I took this one in Ketchikan in June 2009. I'm finally getting around to working on some images from that trip.

Canon 30D
Sigma 100-300mm f/4 @ 300mm HH
1/500 sec f/4.5 ISO 125



Crop, S/H, Sharpening in CS5

[Eric Virkler]

I like the timing of your shot. I probably would have a used a higher ISO, and thus a faster shutter speed. That might have frozen the wing tips on the right side of the frame. The head looks like some of whites have blown out, but that might be my laptop monitor. Do you mind showing the original?

Eric Virkler
Faces of Nature Photography
www.ericjvirkler.com (http://www.ericjvirkler.com)

[Ian Cassell]

Sure ... here's the original. I agree about the shutter speed. I've learned a lot since then (and wish I could go back).

[Lance Peters]

HI Ian - pretty large crop - image quality seems to be suffering a little-personally I would like a little more room up front for him to fly into - think a horizontal format might have worked better here.
Agree about the SS - though the large crop is probably more of a limiting factor than the SS.
Keep em coming :)

[Eric Virkler]

I was planning on commenting on leaving more room in front of the bird when cropping, but I didn't want to assume you had room in your original. Here is how I would crop it for a standard shot. I'll follow this with a post showing a more unusual crop they you may or may not like.

Looks like you did quite well overall for the focal length you were limited to.

Eric Virkler
Faces of Nature Photography
www.ericjvirkler.com (http://www.ericjvirkler.com)

[Eric Virkler]

Here is the other composition I had in mind.

Eric

[Ian Cassell]

Thanks, Eric. I like your horizontal crop.