Finally got within 100 yards of some bald eagles that weren't hiding behind branches...the exposure was challenging with one bird in the sun and the other in the shade and they didn't hang around long to let me play with different settings. This shot is the best compromise on poses & exposure. It's cropped slightly, but I'm not sure if this is the final composure.
Please let me know what you think of the photo.
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/500
Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation +1/3
ISO Speed 1250
Focal Length 400.0 mm
11-13-2010, 02:59 PM
Jonathan Ashton
Nice shot I think I may have tried a little less exposure initially but I understand your dilemma.
11-13-2010, 06:18 PM
Ákos Lumnitzer
I totally agree with your self assessment Ian. Not ideal to have one lit and one not, and the light coming from the left. But you can now strive to get even better images going forward. That's the fun part of it all. I do like it, but I am sure soon we will see an even better shot. :) Keep it up mate!
11-16-2010, 12:51 PM
Daniel Cadieux
You must have been thrilled to have gotten so close to them! These guys are very skittish here, so I can relate. Exposure nightmare for sure with birds in different light. As Akos says, now that you have one bagged for your files, you can now strive to get even better ones.
11-17-2010, 09:13 PM
Ian Anderson
Thank you all for the nice comments and it's nice to finally get a half-decent shot of these magnificent birds that as Daniel says are quite skittish. This location (St Marks NWR near Tallahassee) is doubly hard to shoot at because it is a coastal wetland that is essentially a series of dikes surrounded by thin stands of trees, ponds, and swamps. You can't sneak up on the birds, there's precious little dry ground, and there are hundreds of large alligators and venomous snakes in and around the water. Needless to say, I was quite excited to get as close as I did, but disappointed they didn't hang around for long.
Also, next time I will definitely turn highlight tone priority on for a little extra help with their white plumage if they're in the sun.
