Homer Bald eagles

[grantypoo]

I went down to Homer this weekend and finally got a good test of my telephoto lens. So far all the wildlife I've photographed with it has been relatively slow moving. These eagles were anything but slow! The lens performed flawlessly though, I only had a very very few that were out of focus and everything else went off without a hitch. All in all, I came out of it with a LOT of useable photographs!





















There was an eagle I started calling "Crazy Eye" who obviously had been hit in the head with something at one point. He had some pretty subdued scars that you dont really see until zooming in, but his left eye is kind of screwy. He is in a couple of the pictures above and then some below as well...

[Salty]

grant those are awesome.
I like the first 3-4 the best and the head closeups with the snow on them.
what were you using for a lens?

I took some really nice pics in homer a few years ago with my point and shoot back when the eagle lady was still around.

[grantypoo]

I'm using a Canon 100-400L lens I got a couple months back, I specifically purchased it with eagles in mind.

[Salty]

grant,
could you reccomend a starter DSLR and an appropriate lens for taking tank pics?
I love looking through the photography posts on some of the forums I go to frequently. the pictures they take are close up and really seem to pull the really neat colors out of the corals.
When those type of pics are taken are they done from the top down in a camera box?

[grantypoo]

A lot of pictures arent taken from a top down perspective, but it all depends. If they are obviously taken from straight down then yeah, most of them are through a box. The box is actually pretty cheap and easy to use, compared to everything else at least.

I wouldnt really get anything "worse" than a Canon Rebel T1i, or called a 500D also. Still, with one of those and a Canon 100mm macro, you're pushing $1000 just to get started. It's too bad, but you kind of have to spend money to get the good quality photos.

I've seen some very nice shots with a regular point and shoot type camera that is waterproof, they just stick them down in the tank and snap away.

You could buy a used Canon Xti or Xsi and possibly a used Canon 100mm macro (the non IS version is much cheaper and all you'll ever need) and probably do that for about $5-600 depending on the deal you're getting. It would do what you want, it just isnt as high megapixel or doesnt have as much features as the newer T1i or T2i that just recently came out.

[palmer373]

crazy eye looks funny!

[Flash]

Really like the second picture.....talons out and breaks on, like it's going to catch something. Gra nt, Are you going to be showing us some McNeil River Bear pictures this summer?

[grantypoo]

I wish you could drive there, I definitely would be, but I doubt I'll be doing it this year.

[aquariumreef]

"Crazy Eye" kind of reminds me of a pervert...

Sean

[grantypoo]

You kind of expect him to be on your windowsill at night looking in

[aquariumreef]

I could see him doing that...

Sean