Skip to main content

Nesting Eagles in Milford

Mondays being one my days off from work I decided to take advantage of a rather nice day and scout some locations for a couple of photography workshops. I took a drive down to a local beach and finding no inspiration ended up traveling South following the Long Island Sound coastline. At one point I ended down a dead end street by an Audubon Society nature center. Half an hour later with nothing of interest in my camera I started packing up to leave. A woman parked in the car next to me commented on my camera (you know the deal) and we started a conversation about photography. She then asked me if I had gotten any pictures of the eagles. Huh, what eagles?

Apparently a pair of eagles had built a nest nearby. She offered to show me the spot and I couldn't pass this down. Fortunately for me I had my long lens with me. A short drive from the nature center and we were there. The nest was set in a ways from the road and the local Dept. of Environmental Protection had posted several keep away signs. Through several layers of winter tree branches we could clearly see the nest. It was obviously a local spectacle as we were soon joined by a few more people including another photographer with an equally long lens. At first I couldn't see any activity but after a few minutes I was able to make out the top of the female's head occasionally peeking out.

By now the sun was starting to set and I was forced to crank up my ISO. I also was having a hard time focusing through the trees. I flipped to manual and hoped for the best considering I was still a distance off from the nest. Oh, and I was using a monopod. Should I mention that the temperature was also dropping? Lack of activity in the nest, the dropping temperature and the waning light was causing me to call it a day and start packing up when my guide cried out, "here he comes!" The male was returning to the nest.

Okay, maybe I'll stay a little while longer.

It must have been feeding time as the male spent some time hovering over the nest. A few more cars stopped to check out the scene including a family with some very mesmerized young kids. After a while the male took to the skies again but only for a short trip to a nearby tree, offering the other photographer and myself a clearer view... of his butt! Go figure.

A crow came by and scolded the eagle as it turned it's powerful beak to a nearby small branch, trying to break it off to bring back to the nest. The branch proved to be tougher than the eagle and he ended up returning to the nest empty beaked.

All in all, it was really cool to be that close to such majestic birds out in the wild. Specially in an area that is not known for being home to these creatures. Thanks to Laura for pointing the nest out to me. I'll have to return to see if I can get some better shots.

Hope you enjoy these shots. Just goes to show what you might encounter if you keep your options open... and a little luck.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Post a comment only if it adds to the topic being discussed. Spam, hate or derogatory comments will not be allowed.

Most Popular Posts

Large DIY Diffusion Scrim

One of the most commonly used tools in my photographic arsenal is the all purpose diffusion screen . I use it to soften light, create gradients and light fields or as a background. One of my current favorites is a metal framed 4' x 4' foot scrim with thick white artificial silk made by Matthews. I didn't think I would use it so much, being so large, but having borrowed it from a friend I really came to love it. The downside for me is the price. At just over $100 I couldn't really justify the cost, considering I want at least two of them. Time for a DIY alternative.
2 comments
Read More »

Observations on composition - Pieter Bruegel

In this article I am reprinting a critique I published on photoMENTORIS.com regarding the painting entitled ' Census at Bethlehem ' by famed painter Pieter Bruegel , who was born in what is now the Netherlands in the 1520s. The first point I would like to say is that you first need to consider both the medium and the time frame of this painting. Being a painting, the artist has a certain advantage of being able to carefully direct the large amount of content presented to the viewer, unlike, say, a photo of opportunity of the street photographer (I strongly believe Pieter would have been the 'street photographer' of his time). Even a studio photographer, with the luxury of space and time, would have a hard time justifying creating such a complex composition. Where you would see this type of visual composition today would be in modern cinema. In particular, period pieces that rely on background elements to "sell the era" .  Secondly, the era in which thi
Post a Comment
Read More »

Don Julio - Hero Shot

For starters, a hero shot is one in which the product is showcased in all its splendor. Careful attention is placed on making the product look its very best. For this shot of Don Julio I knew I wanted to give the bottle some majesty by photographing it from a low angle. That low angle makes the bottle look tall, towering over the viewer and creating a position of dominance. Can't you hear the choir of angels singing in the background? I also knew that I wanted a rich, moody image with lots of darks. I am partial to darker images, which is surprising to most people because the majority of the work I do are images on white backgrounds. But that's another story. I also tried a lifestyle type shot with glasses and lime slices but I wasn't feeling it and ended up scrapping it. Again, that's another story.
Post a Comment
Read More »

Who Cares About Your Business

October marks the beginning of the holiday season with Halloween at the end of the month. Seasonal items are being shuffled around and soon Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah will be upon us. Personally, I have been busy preparing for the cold weather and analyzing how to move forward into the new year. This got me thinking about many things; rescaling my marketing, updating my prices, expanding my services… you know, all the regular business stuff. It also got me thinking about my customers... actually, the customers I don’t have. What can I do to help them find me? Then it hit me, if they did find me, why would they care?  This month’s newsletter is about ways of connecting to customers in today’s age of information.
Post a Comment
Read More »