Bald Eagles | 600mm Bird Photography. This is HARD!

I head up to the Puget Sound to try my luck at photographing bald eagles feeding at low tide on midshipmen that come in to spawn. I find out there is as much luck as there is skill, or is it the other way around? Watch the video to see if I can overcome the challenges and come away with a keeper.
Don't forget to visit my website at www.jamesparkerphoto.com to sign up for my newsletter and check out my upcoming workshops and 1 on 1 tutoring. I teach classes on using your camera, landscape photography, lighting, post processing, and more.
Links:
Website - www.jamesparkerphoto.com
Facebook - / jamesparkerphoto
Vero - vero.co/jamesparkerphoto
#baldeagles, #birdphotography, #eagles, #sonyalpha
#workshops, #lightroom, #adobe, #photoshop, #LandscapePhotography, #PacificNorthwest, #educational, #howto, #composition, #postprocessing, #photography

[@MLJ7424]

Nice photos

[@jimgsewell]

I bought a new Sigma 150-600mm for less than $1000. Good lens, reasonably priced. I’ve spent lots of time sitting in my backyard photographing tweety birds, sparrows, finches and the like. This helped build my muscle memory, so now when I go out, I have much better luck. I haven’t yet afforded a gimble head and shoot handheld. I’m not a pro by any means, but I’m pretty happy with the pictures I get with that and my R5.

[@solar-e-bike-touring-europe]

For the gimball, I always first centre/balance the vertical position (horizontal centre of the lens should match the with the centre of the bolt screw at the side. I stopped using fullformat, now using M4/3 (OM and Lumix). My compact 300mm Pro lens F4 gives me 600 mm equivalent, I can handheld that all day. Great van btw.

[@steveparent3627]

Awesome video James! Covering the process and learning is priceless!

[@denacannon755]

James, Thanks for the video and for helping me get started on my own bird photography adventure! I hope to see you out there next year!

[@doug433]

Put your eye on the eagle then bring the camera to the eye. This makes getting your subject into the frame easier with long lenses. Do this handheld with a proper shutter speed.

[@marximus4]

I spent a couple days there last year and got some good shots. I had a 2x on my 500, so definitely the longer the better.

[@AdrianW_photo]

Your perseverance paid off. I think you captured some nice images, loved the one of the two eagles fighting in mid flight.. Thanks for sharing.

[@georgedavall9449]

Excellent video James. Just found Your Channel, and I think I’ll ‘come on board!’ Your on camera ‘presence’ and your easy going and self effacing attitude, makes for very enjoyable viewing. You did get some good shots! Stay safe. 👍

[@katescott1940]

Thanks, especially, for the explanation of the tripod balancing at the beginning of the video. I never realized it was supposed to be able to stabilize when properly balanced. Seems like it would make life much easier! You achieved some great shots in your three days!

[@Eigil_Skovgaard]

I have randomly "hunted" herons with a 400 mm and have still not been lucky (or patient) enough to get closer than 200 meters, which looks too distant. But when I have been lucky with other birds - it feels like a major conquest. I keep telling myself that I like the process as much as the results. A couple of your hitters would have made me ecstatic.

[@JamesParkerPhotography]

Thanks! It is a matter of patience, spending enough time, the right gear, a little skill and lot of luck. Next time I go I’ll have a 1.4 teleconverter on the lens for 840mm. I think that will help a lot.

[@isotechimages.9130]

This is why l got the Canon F11 lenses as so light can handhold all day and that is the only way l get the shots.

[@msmith2016]

You really need to ditch the tripod and go hand held. Also - 600mm is enough and you will already have issues with air diffraction at that focal length. Check your DOF tables for your focal length and distance from the subject and I think you'll find you're not gaining anything by shooting at f8 except a darker picture and slower AF performance. You have to get closer to the birds and that is only possible by learning their behavior and adapting to it. You'll never get good at taking any BIF photos unless you practice practice practice. Use those gulls flying around behind you and take a couple thousand frames of them then try the eagles again. The gulls are way more accessible than the eagles and make great targets. Good luck - when you nail one it is a great accomplishment.

[@thomasmfoster9133]

I enjoyed your last part of your video with the Eagle photos. I used to live in Everett many years ago. IF you want to get up close to Eagles, go North to the Skagit Valley area, or drive up the hiway along side the Skagit RIver 100 -400 will work

[@joedenton7263]

Great video! Couldn't help but chuckle... you talked about balancing the gimble... and at the 5:44 mark, you can see the camera start slowly sinking down.

[@JamesParkerPhotography]

lol! You are so right. I ended up tweaking it even further to get it a little better. I had a blast that weekend!

[@keoni37]

I've been shooting there for about 20 years, yes you have to be there when the tides are favorable, minus tides ebbing early morning after a very high tide so that the eagles are closer as the tide goes out. Actually recognize a couple of the regulars in your video. Also, Mark Smith from Florida is there with a workshop and has been for the past few years, if you haven't already, check out his vids. 10/15 years ago there used to be as many as 100 eagles!

[@JamesParkerPhotography]

Thanks John - I recognized Mark and have seen his videos. The 3 days I was there just wasn't very active. Mark was there 2 of the days and he arrived later and left earlier than I did so I know I was there during the "right" time. It's like all things photography - patience and persistence!

[@cioran66]

Doesn't Mark Smith use the 500 f4? I wonder how his shots look so much closer? ...the guy is a legend btw ;-)

[@JamesParkerPhotography]

@@cioran66 - There is no way he is using anything shorter than 600mm. My guess is he has a teleconverter too.

[@DavidC-rt3or]

If you ever get a chance and want to shoot bald eagles again.. head up to Haines, AK in Nov during the festival (late salmon run) and thousands of eagles are in the area.. I have that head, and would balance so it would not point up/down.. but didn't realize you could balance to not move also. When I was in Haines, used a 400mm at times with a 2x teleconverter, but with that and they were flying found it hard to find them in lens in time.

[@cioran66]

As always, thanks for sharing your experience James! 'The smaller the bird the higher your shutter speed' for bald eagles in flight I got good results stating at 1/1250, where you get some motion blur at the end of wing tips. Of course a question of light conditions, distance and apperture and I would usually go higher if there is enough light or not looking for that effect. Maybe also give it a shot handheld. No problem at these shutterspeeds and you don't have to circle your tripod to follow an eagles path ;) Some of you images you ended up with are amazing! Maybe it's just not your thing to enjoy?

[@JamesParkerPhotography]

I do enjoy it. It’s just not my favorite type of photography. I’ll definitely photograph wildlife including birds given the chance. But I’ll take a gorgeous sunrise or sunset over that any day. 😎

[@LebronPhoto1]

A camera body with great stabilization and a high megapixel sensor (so you can crop), or a smaller m4/3 camera and lens with an 800mm equivalent lens and 7 stops of image stabilization allow you to be more mobile and make the task easier. I found that being on a tripod is very limiting unless the bird is perched.

[@JamesParkerPhotography]

I’m going to try handheld next time too. But all the pros seem to use the gimbal heads. It sure is nice to not hold that weight all day.

[@LebronPhoto1]

@@JamesParkerPhotography I fractured some vertebrae in my back, so now I use micro four thirds cameras (Olympus OMD-EM1 MKiii with a 100-400 Leica lens). I get an 800mm equivalent FOV and the extra DOF and 6 stops of image stabilization (you can see some of my bird images on Flickr under LebronPhoto. Once I was photographing an eagle with my Nikon D700 and 80-400 VR lens. The eagle was perched and we, another photographer, and myself were waiting for it to take off. He had another D700 with a 200-500 f4 Zoom (I believe that's correct) mounted on a heavy tripod. When the eagle took off, he missed the shot trying to point the camera and beast of a lens in the proper direction. My set up was more compact and handheld, so I got the shot he missed. Some will argue about differences in image quality, but that's a moot point if you miss the shot and today's micro four thirds cameras and lenses are excellent.

[@georgedavall9449]

@@LebronPhoto1 Excellent comment and points, however Me thinks that PL 100-400 would work better on the LUMIX G9? It would have dual OIS. That system works a treat! I can remember using my D700, with grip, and the larger battery, and boy was it heavy! But that combo would ‘drive’ the AF of the bigger lenses. Be safe. Peace.

[@LebronPhoto1]

Agreed the Panasonic camera lens combo with dual IS is a better combo. I just had the camera first with the 75-300 and purchased the PL100-400 before the Olympus version was available. I set the camera to favor the lens IS when I use the PL100-400, which seems to work best.

[@doug433]

Keep you camera speed right and image stabilization means nothing when photographing eagles in flight.

[@photobeast]

As a Pro Bird Photographer, I'm constantly shooting on my Canon R5 with the EF 100-400 and a 1.4 teleconverter the Sigma 150-600mm. It does get grueling at times from the qeigjt especially hand held... AlsoI know it's disheartening to not get birds in the whole frame, but you can salvage a wing or piece of bird here and there. I actually made a video on it last week using Adobe Photoshop Beta. The Generative AI SOFTWARE will actually rebuild the wing for you!! Then you will have a little something to show on social media! 🎉⁷

[@dvwildlife2625]

a "pro photographer" wouldn't need AI to add a wing back to a bird and no offense after looking at your IG account don't see it. Looks like auto iso and too many bad exposures that you are trying to fix in post.

[@TheElegantPelican]

What tripod were you using and how well did it handle the weight?

[@JamesParkerPhotography]

iFootage Gazelle Fast Bowl. Handled it perfectly. It’s my favorite tripod and the best I’ve ever used. 👍🏻

[@wesb123]

I’m trying my first time shooting eagles this winter. Best part is that it will be from a river tour boat 😆 🌊 🚤 🤞🦅 📷

[@JamesParkerPhotography]

Good luck!

[@wesb123]

@@JamesParkerPhotography thanks, I have a few months to study and practice thankfully!

[@dccoletrain]

I handheld my Fuji 150-600 for 2 hours. Got a few nice pictures of an eagle. Might have gotten more if I brought my tripod. Ha. Next time

[@joeret2896]

Is 1000mm at f5.6 plenty of reach for a descent photo?

[@JamesParkerPhotography]

Absolutely. 600-800 is good enough for most I think. The longer the lens the harder it will be to keep the bird in the frame.

[@joeret2896]

@@JamesParkerPhotography it’s zoom so no worries

[@joeret2896]

@@JamesParkerPhotography it’s a zoom lens with a built in tc.

[@jmauricio1973]

The Sony 200-600G is not a G-Master, on those, the G is red, others, the G is black. 🙂

[@JamesParkerPhotography]

Since it’s the only 200-600mm and it had a G on it, I assumed it was. Thanks. I’ll have to go read up on it now. 👍🏻

[@dvwildlife2625]

no need for auto iso....too many dark birds as the camera compensates for the light background it darkens your subject

[@lemon0751]

James, how in reality can you advertise a workshop for doing this type of photography when you state at the beginning of the video you don't know what your doing and you've had to rent the gear ! I find it laughable that you could actually offer such a thing and even more laughable that people would actually take you up on the offer.

[@JamesParkerPhotography]

I've photographed birds numerous times, but never to the extent of focusing 100% on birds and nothing else. True, bird photography is not my forte, and I purposely picked the very worse shots to put in my blooper reel, but I think I came away with some nice shots. It's also true I had to rent the lens and gimbal, as I don't do it often enough to warrant spending the money on the gear. I've been a photographer for over 15 years, so I'd like to think that time learning the craft (from portraits, to weddings, to real estate, automotive, and landscapes) counts for something. And my workshops are a little different than most. In years past I've paid big money to go on workshops with a few "big name" photographers who spend more time getting their own shots and filming for their KZbin channel than working with with the participants. My workshops are different. I offer airport pickup, all transportation (besides airfare), all entry fees to parks, lodging (which is usually a house vs hotel rooms when possible), lots of hand holding for anyone who needs it, and I put my shots last and the client's first. I also teach post processing classes while on the workshop where we review our images and discuss the day's shoot. I like to think my workshops focus as much on the experience, location, and camaraderie with other photographers as it is actually shooting.