I recently had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful young Bald Eagle in flight at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. As I was driving along the auto tour road, I spotted the Eagle feeding on a Snow Goose in a field. When another vehicle approached, the Eagle took to the skies, and I quickly grabbed my camera.
Resting my lens on a bean bag draped over my open truck window, I started snapping photos as the Eagle flew low over the fields. Based on the mostly brown plumage, I could tell this was a juvenile Bald Eagle, likely less than five years old.
I captured a series of shots as the Eagle flapped its impressive six-foot wingspan, gliding gracefully over the grasslands. The crisp morning light created some gorgeous backlighting effects.
As a wildlife photographer, I feel extremely privileged to catch these fleeting moments of majestic beauty in nature. Watching this young Eagle take to the skies was thrilling, and being able to photograph it felt like an exhilarating gift. I’m excited to go back to Sequoyah NWR soon in hopes of capturing more images of these regal raptors. Let me know in the comments if you have a favorite local spot to see or photograph Bald Eagles!
Gear Used:
- Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III
- Lens: Canon EF 500 mm f/4L IS
Technical:
- Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (Oklahoma)
- Date and Time Taken: December 22, 2010 (09:14:21 A.M.)
- Aperture: f5.0
- Shutter speed: 1/1250 sec. and 1/1000 on the second photo
- ISO: 500
- Exposure Compensation: 0
- Focal Length: 500 mm