Bud Ralston
October 2025 - Turning Eagle
Original
About the Image(s)
I never tire of photographing bald eagles. I am fortunate to live in a location that has many of them nearby. When you have the right gear and the weather cooperates, good images are like shooting fish in a barrel. Every year, I rent the Z800mm lens for these few days.
Nikon Z9, Nikon Z 800 f/5.6, 800 mm, 1/4000 sec @ f/9, 0 EV, ISO 1000
I processed the image using Topaz Photo AI to remove the noise and enlarge it. I then cropped to provide a close-up of the bird. I used Lightroom to slightly enhance the yellow of the eye and orange of the beak.
4 comments posted
Very nice capture, Bud! I love birds in flight, but find dark birds and bright skies to be a formidable bane. I am somewhat amazed that both the under-wing shadows and the head are both nicely exposed. Did you do any extra processing to bring these out? Posted: 10/04/2025 17:02:02
This is a most interesting image. To begin, it's sharp, has good color, a great depth of field and a carries a lot of energy.
I also wondered if there might be a better crop to show off the subject; so, I added canvas, opened the shadows to get more detail in the subject's dark wings and desaturated and brightened the subject's tail feathers. Compositionally, as presented, the image is dramatic almost like a close-up portrait in flight, but I feel the crop sacrifices some of the grandeur of these majestic animals and thought the image needed more breathing room and a broader canvas to tell the story of freedom and grace.
I think both crops work and if I were making a fine art print for close viewing, the intimacy of the image as you cropped it would be more compelling. However, in a nature competition I think my VF image would score higher for visual interest and storytelling.
Posted: 10/07/2025 14:01:09
I also wondered if there might be a better crop to show off the subject; so, I added canvas, opened the shadows to get more detail in the subject's dark wings and desaturated and brightened the subject's tail feathers. Compositionally, as presented, the image is dramatic almost like a close-up portrait in flight, but I feel the crop sacrifices some of the grandeur of these majestic animals and thought the image needed more breathing room and a broader canvas to tell the story of freedom and grace.
I think both crops work and if I were making a fine art print for close viewing, the intimacy of the image as you cropped it would be more compelling. However, in a nature competition I think my VF image would score higher for visual interest and storytelling.
Posted: 10/07/2025 14:01:09
Sounds like a wonderful way to practice your Birds in Flight- what a subject to have that much choice with!
I like the wing position and the fact that you have that white tail fully spread. Good sharpness from wingtip to wingtip. I also like the relatively plain background.
I do like Butch's alternate crop with more space in front of the bird- someplace for it to fly in to. Posted: 10/10/2025 20:52:53
I like the wing position and the fact that you have that white tail fully spread. Good sharpness from wingtip to wingtip. I also like the relatively plain background.
I do like Butch's alternate crop with more space in front of the bird- someplace for it to fly in to. Posted: 10/10/2025 20:52:53
You managed a fine capture of this majestic eagle in flight. The bird is sharp and well exposed although the white head is a bit questionable. I'm guessing you opened the shadows on the underside of the wing and I really like to appearance of the spread tail feathers. My only suggestion has to do with the composition. This is such a majestic bird that it feels like a crime against nature itself to place it into such a tight frame. I like Butch's crop much better because it gives the bird more space into which it can fly freely. You have plenty of space on the original to make an adjustment. Posted: 10/15/2025 19:08:00