Attack From Above
Attack From Above
I was laying on the slope of an Alaskan riverbank talking to one of my workshop students. My 500mm lens sitting in my lap. We were interrupted as a bald eagle, carrying a partially eaten salmon, suddenly landed about three meters right in front of us. I could not rise to a standing position as it would have startled the eagle. The best I could manage for any chance of a shot was to lay back on the bank, handhold the 500mm, and shoot between my extended legs with feet spread apart. Luckily, I was (barely) outside the 500’s minimal focal distance. With the eagle almost filling the frame I started shooting. While so engaged, neither I nor the student were aware of another eagle approaching in aerial attack mode intent on thievery. Just as the shutter fired, the attacker’s taloned feet entered the frame as the landed eagle became aware of the aerial disturbance. FYI, stealing salmon from another eagle rather than catching their own is a common survival tactic especially with the oncoming winter season.
Attack From Above
Attack From Above
I was laying on the slope of an Alaskan riverbank talking to one of my workshop students. My 500mm lens sitting in my lap. We were interrupted as a bald eagle, carrying a partially eaten salmon, suddenly landed about three meters right in front of us. I could not rise to a standing position as it would have startled the eagle. The best I could manage for any chance of a shot was to lay back on the bank, handhold the 500mm, and shoot between my extended legs with feet spread apart. Luckily, I was (barely) outside the 500’s minimal focal distance. With the eagle almost filling the frame I started shooting. While so engaged, neither I nor the student were aware of another eagle approaching in aerial attack mode intent on thievery. Just as the shutter fired, the attacker’s taloned feet entered the frame as the landed eagle became aware of the aerial disturbance. FYI, stealing salmon from another eagle rather than catching their own is a common survival tactic especially with the oncoming winter season.