Here's some of my recent photos of some bald eagles in the NH-ME-MA area...
Always cool to catch the first leap into flight...
Some times, if you re still and quiet- they will land pretty close to you and peak at you through the trees.
And even though Roadkill jokes about how "they're EVERYWHERE" now - it's still special for me when I see them, and photographing them is pretty challenging -
Perched. All of these shots, by the way, were taken with a 600mm lens, with an increase zoom of 1.5 - so that can bring stuff pretty far away up close to you. I never bother the birds and am always respectful of wildlife.
And finally, the hard left in flight. When they are flying - it's difficult to track them when you re zoomed in all the way to 600mm - so i always use a tripod.
If you're a beginner in photography and want some tips - here they are:
-use the fastest shutter speed light conditions will allow
-have a fast memory card that can take many images quickly. (Mine takes 10 fps so I needed an QXD card).
-let the lens do the focusing work for you - use autofocus- because they move so fast it will be impossible to maintain focus otherwise (unless they are still)
-use a tripod. its much easier to keep steady when you aren't hand holding the lens. and longer lenses can be a bit heavy after a while
-and this is MOST important: Keep a comfortable distance. Don't agitate the birds. Let them be, and do their normal thing. Don't ever try to "flush" them - or make them fly so you can get "the shot". Have patience and WAIT for the shot. I have taken some very close up shots of them - but ONLY when they fly to me. Other than that, all of my shots are taken with a 600mm zoom.
Im always willing to answer photo questions- so if you have one - email me at greg@morningbuzz.com
g