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2-24-08
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I'm now back on
the Illinois side, almost home. On the way, I decide to
swoop down on Main Street to see if there are any perched in the trees
down there. Sure enough, there was one in perfect view.
Here is an untouched
photo. The only thing I have done is cropped and
resized. There is no post-processing done. I did this to show you the
original image.
Here is a 100% crop.
Now THAT is sharp!!!!! So, I'm ditching the Sigma
as soon as possible.
Incredibly sharp lens
= incredibly happy Jeremy.
Now it's Sunday. I woke up around 7:30 and wanted to go get some more with the nice morning lighting. Man, what a morning. Aside from the majesty of the eagles present, the weather was also absolutely perfect. It was still a little chilly being morning still, but compared to what we've been having, this was fantastic weather.
I thought the morning light was much better than the afternoon before. I absolutely love to shoot in the morning...when I don't have to work that is.
This guy thought he was free to enjoy his breakfast.
Wrong! This young eagle was absolutley relentless. This shot isn't very clear (I think it AF'd on the branches behind) but it's the best shot I had of the two battling.
Another bad shot. I wish I would have backed out the zoom a little, but it was really hard to do two things at once since the action wasn't too far away. The immature was right on his tail.
I didn't think much of this shot at first, but after looking at it again I realized how close the young'n actually got to stealing his meal. That tail is right by his beak.
Another shot where I wish I would have backed the zoom out. I hate cutting off their wings.
Still trying to get away. He would finally reign as king of the hill as the young one finally gave up and came to perch on a high branch.
This is a different one. The last three years I've been out to photograph eagles, not ONCE have I ever seen one with a fish. In two days I think I saw at least 10. It was an awesome spectacle.
I saw this one come and land next to the one on the left. I walked up to it because he was shooting off warning signals and wanted to get him with his beak open. It definitely worked because that one of the left sort of side-stepped away. It wasn't until he started pecking at that fish that I realized he had breakfast too. I knew this was going to be good.
The other one was definitely interested in that fish, but he wasn't about to ask him to share.
Yum! Making me hungry. This is actually a 100% crop from a full size shot. Eat that, Sigma!
Clean-up time. Now I know what the other one was doing a while back when he was rubbing his beak on a branch. There was nothing left of that fish.
Done and looking for some more.
This thing took off like a bullet from his perch. I don't know if he saw something he liked or what, but he darted out over the water faster than any other eagle I think I've ever see. I watched him out pretty far, but he eventually hung a right and disappeared out of view.
Ok, so I thought since I had over 600 shots in the two days, it was time to head back for home. Once again, I swung down on Main St. and there was another eagle in the same tree as the one above. This one was WAY more skittish unfortunately. He only took his eye off me for a few brief seconds.
It wasn't until I uploaded this picture on the computer that I noticed the metal band around his left ankle (do birds have ankles?).
I saw this one a little further down the road. I noticed an old little shed sort of thing that I thought would aid in "ambushing" him. So, I park, get out, walk a few hundred feet down the sidewalk and hook a right so the shed was blocking his view. I noticed as I was walking that he was watching me the entire time. I get to the shed, pop the lens around the corner and snap off a few. I wasn't fooling him. He was well aware of my presence.
I then pop around the right side of the shed...more in view for him. He didn't like me very well. I like how he still has somewhat of an eye on me as he takes off.
Same bird.
Not the same bird. He looked a little perturbed that the other one came to land on "his" ice. He did a little hop toward him with his wings spread, but it didn't budge him. I couldn't get any shots of that.
I thought I was about done. I hooked a quick left down to the boat docks instead of taking a right up the road to my house. I parked for a little bit, was half-tempted to take a shot of a weak sun dog above me, then started off for home. As I shift it into drive, I see a HUGE shadow engulf the area in front of my truck. This sucker had to have been about 10 feet above the truck. Man oh man do I wish I could have been ready for that opportunity. I tracked him until he came to rest in a tree on the other side of the parking lot. This one was a little more photogenic as he let me walk up pretty close to him.
Uh oh. Now I'm getting a little too close. He started flaring his wings, hesitant to take off. When they do this, you can bet they will be departing in a little bit.
See ya! Man I love this lens.
I had to head home and clean up for a suprise party for my grandma's 75th birthday. I was absolutely hooked on this lens and the birds so I planned on hitting up the dam again on the way home. There definitely wasn't as much action as earlier in the morning, but there was still another pretty awesome chase that had even more participants this time.
Mine! Mine!
You'd better fly faster buddy. Another one spots the action and wants in.
The second one is gaining ground. They are also coming almost straight at me at this point...or shortly after, whatever.
Uh oh. Now he's in some trouble. Another one now in on the action. He'd better put on his afterburners.
Pulling some fancy maneuvers now. Man this stuff was so cool to see. I'm going to miss these guys in a few weeks after they clear out and begin to nest.
They eventually flew out of sight. I have a feeling that fish wasn't in one piece by the time this was said and done.
One final shot with the light of the almost setting sun. By this time the action was pretty minimal. All in all, I thought this was an incredible experience. My first impression of this lens was pretty raw. But, after the eagle outing, I have 100% confidence that this thing will continue to provide me great images. I just can't wait to use it again. I'm all eagled out for now, so now I'll have to find something else to go after. Maybe I'll go look for deer next.
Now it's Sunday. I woke up around 7:30 and wanted to go get some more with the nice morning lighting. Man, what a morning. Aside from the majesty of the eagles present, the weather was also absolutely perfect. It was still a little chilly being morning still, but compared to what we've been having, this was fantastic weather.
I thought the morning light was much better than the afternoon before. I absolutely love to shoot in the morning...when I don't have to work that is.
This guy thought he was free to enjoy his breakfast.
Wrong! This young eagle was absolutley relentless. This shot isn't very clear (I think it AF'd on the branches behind) but it's the best shot I had of the two battling.
Another bad shot. I wish I would have backed out the zoom a little, but it was really hard to do two things at once since the action wasn't too far away. The immature was right on his tail.
I didn't think much of this shot at first, but after looking at it again I realized how close the young'n actually got to stealing his meal. That tail is right by his beak.
Another shot where I wish I would have backed the zoom out. I hate cutting off their wings.
Still trying to get away. He would finally reign as king of the hill as the young one finally gave up and came to perch on a high branch.
This is a different one. The last three years I've been out to photograph eagles, not ONCE have I ever seen one with a fish. In two days I think I saw at least 10. It was an awesome spectacle.
I saw this one come and land next to the one on the left. I walked up to it because he was shooting off warning signals and wanted to get him with his beak open. It definitely worked because that one of the left sort of side-stepped away. It wasn't until he started pecking at that fish that I realized he had breakfast too. I knew this was going to be good.
The other one was definitely interested in that fish, but he wasn't about to ask him to share.
Yum! Making me hungry. This is actually a 100% crop from a full size shot. Eat that, Sigma!
Clean-up time. Now I know what the other one was doing a while back when he was rubbing his beak on a branch. There was nothing left of that fish.
Done and looking for some more.
This thing took off like a bullet from his perch. I don't know if he saw something he liked or what, but he darted out over the water faster than any other eagle I think I've ever see. I watched him out pretty far, but he eventually hung a right and disappeared out of view.
Ok, so I thought since I had over 600 shots in the two days, it was time to head back for home. Once again, I swung down on Main St. and there was another eagle in the same tree as the one above. This one was WAY more skittish unfortunately. He only took his eye off me for a few brief seconds.
It wasn't until I uploaded this picture on the computer that I noticed the metal band around his left ankle (do birds have ankles?).
I saw this one a little further down the road. I noticed an old little shed sort of thing that I thought would aid in "ambushing" him. So, I park, get out, walk a few hundred feet down the sidewalk and hook a right so the shed was blocking his view. I noticed as I was walking that he was watching me the entire time. I get to the shed, pop the lens around the corner and snap off a few. I wasn't fooling him. He was well aware of my presence.
I then pop around the right side of the shed...more in view for him. He didn't like me very well. I like how he still has somewhat of an eye on me as he takes off.
Same bird.
Not the same bird. He looked a little perturbed that the other one came to land on "his" ice. He did a little hop toward him with his wings spread, but it didn't budge him. I couldn't get any shots of that.
I thought I was about done. I hooked a quick left down to the boat docks instead of taking a right up the road to my house. I parked for a little bit, was half-tempted to take a shot of a weak sun dog above me, then started off for home. As I shift it into drive, I see a HUGE shadow engulf the area in front of my truck. This sucker had to have been about 10 feet above the truck. Man oh man do I wish I could have been ready for that opportunity. I tracked him until he came to rest in a tree on the other side of the parking lot. This one was a little more photogenic as he let me walk up pretty close to him.
Uh oh. Now I'm getting a little too close. He started flaring his wings, hesitant to take off. When they do this, you can bet they will be departing in a little bit.
See ya! Man I love this lens.
I had to head home and clean up for a suprise party for my grandma's 75th birthday. I was absolutely hooked on this lens and the birds so I planned on hitting up the dam again on the way home. There definitely wasn't as much action as earlier in the morning, but there was still another pretty awesome chase that had even more participants this time.
Mine! Mine!
You'd better fly faster buddy. Another one spots the action and wants in.
The second one is gaining ground. They are also coming almost straight at me at this point...or shortly after, whatever.
Uh oh. Now he's in some trouble. Another one now in on the action. He'd better put on his afterburners.
Pulling some fancy maneuvers now. Man this stuff was so cool to see. I'm going to miss these guys in a few weeks after they clear out and begin to nest.
They eventually flew out of sight. I have a feeling that fish wasn't in one piece by the time this was said and done.
One final shot with the light of the almost setting sun. By this time the action was pretty minimal. All in all, I thought this was an incredible experience. My first impression of this lens was pretty raw. But, after the eagle outing, I have 100% confidence that this thing will continue to provide me great images. I just can't wait to use it again. I'm all eagled out for now, so now I'll have to find something else to go after. Maybe I'll go look for deer next.