Side-lit eagle

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Side-lit eagle

December 18, 2020 by Mike Powell

When I first spotted this Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) last Saturday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, it was mostly hidden from view, perched rather low on a broken-off tree and surrounded by a thick tangle of vegetation. When I finally maneuvered around to a position where I had a relatively clear line of sight to the eagle through the bushes, I realized that I had another problem—the light was shining brightly from the side, causing the white head of the eagle to be overexposed on one side with a resultant loss of details.

I moved a little from side to side to improve the lighting situation and waited for the eagle to move its head too. As I reviewed my shots afterwards, I was delighted to see that the side lighting had helped to reveal the beautiful layers of feathers on the eagle’s body. The eagle seemed to be giving me a disapproving look in the second shot, but amazingly it remained in place. As I was moving away I looked back at the eagle and silently thanked the majestic bird for our shared moments together.

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter | Tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 50D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, side lighting, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA | 20 Comments

20 Responses

on December 18, 2020 at 8:14 am | Reply lulu

I marvel at every one of your birds! It is wonderful that you capture them in their environment.
on December 18, 2020 at 8:19 am | Reply Dan Antion

That’s a great photo.
on December 18, 2020 at 10:05 am | Reply Jason Richie

A fine shot of a well-coiffed eagle. We watched a couple for years near a reservoir near our home, and I was always surprised how scraggly they looked. This guy is beautiful.
- on December 22, 2020 at 4:48 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Jason. We are blessed to have a number of eagle pairs that nest in that wildlife refuge and I manage to see an eagle fairly regularly, though it is rare for me to get such a close shot of one.
on December 18, 2020 at 12:41 pm | Reply SherWoei

Beautiful shots.
- on December 22, 2020 at 4:47 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks.
on December 18, 2020 at 1:11 pm | Reply Reed Andariese

Nice Mike! Always fun to see your Bald Eagle images!
on December 18, 2020 at 4:43 pm | Reply sv-anui.com

Great details Mike! I always enjoy your eagles.
on December 18, 2020 at 5:02 pm | Reply joyroses13

You captured such detail, wonderful shots!
on December 18, 2020 at 7:07 pm | Reply mvschulze

Beautiful captures, super sharp detail. M 🙂
on December 18, 2020 at 8:57 pm | Reply Eliza Waters

Really enjoyed seeing the feather detail in that first shot, Mike – the lighting turned out quite well!
on December 18, 2020 at 10:11 pm | Reply Ms. Liz

Incredibly majestic, wonderful! I’m in awe.
on December 19, 2020 at 2:31 am | Reply picpholio

Great captures of an inpressive bird !
on December 19, 2020 at 3:09 pm | Reply Patricia M Osborne

Wow. Very majestic. Great shot.
on December 19, 2020 at 3:35 pm | Reply Mitzy Bricker

Wow! Love the light!

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on December 20, 2020 at 10:50 am | Reply Ellen Jennings

Gorgeous detailed captures, Mike!
on December 20, 2020 at 4:44 pm | Reply Molly Lin Dutina

Amazing shots! That first one reminds me of a John Ruthven painting. Sadly, he passed recently.
on December 25, 2020 at 11:31 am | Reply Lee

Great photo! We spotted an eagle a few days ago, but no camera in the car. 😦
on December 25, 2020 at 5:59 pm | Reply Finding Subjects Podcast

Great shot, Mike!
- on December 25, 2020 at 8:33 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Tony.