Superior Flop

Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
edited October 20, 2008 in Wildlife
Just back from a trip to Superior, Wisconsin.

The cottage on Lake Nebagamon that we rented was great, with a perched overlook of the lake. A family of Bald Eagles liked to use the forty foot old White Pine on the property as a roost. Sounds good...huh? Well it was not. Only one morning in seven had decent morning light and that was the only day that they didn't show!

This was at ISO 1000 plus one on ec. It sucks...I know...but it was the only usable one I got. :cry

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The vacation was great...but with no light there was no decent photography to be had. I had to bribe this Herring Gull for one of my few ops.:rofl

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Comments

  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited October 19, 2008
    The second shot is outstanding Ric. AS for the first capture, any eagle capture is a good one.

    Wildlife photography just isn't easy. With landscape you know where your subject will be and you can arrange to shoot it in the best possible light. With wildlife it seems like when you have good light you don't have a subject or when you have a subject there's always something blocking it or the light sucks. :bash
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
  • dlplumerdlplumer Registered Users Posts: 8,081 Major grins
    edited October 19, 2008
    Well, the Eagle may not be as good as your usual shots, but it certainly does NOT suck. The gull is excellent.

    Dan
    Dan
    http://danielplumer.com/
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  • Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited October 19, 2008
    Harryb wrote:
    The second shot is outstanding Ric. AS for the first capture, any eagle capture is a good one.

    Wildlife photography just isn't easy. With landscape you know where your subject will be and you can arrange to shoot it in the best possible light. With wildlife it seems like when you have good light you don't have a subject or when you have a subject there's always something blocking it or the light sucks. :bash

    Thanks, Harry. :D

    Of course you are right.....I'd rather read about it happening to someone else! naughty.gifrofl

    I guess it makes you appreciate those good outings.
  • Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited October 19, 2008
    dlplumer wrote:
    Well, the Eagle may not be as good as your usual shots, but it certainly does NOT suck. The gull is excellent.

    Dan

    Thanks, Dan. :D

    I guess it sucks in comparison to that wall-hanger I had envisioned!
  • CatoCato Registered Users Posts: 287 Major grins
    edited October 20, 2008
    The eagle may not be the "wall hanger", but it's still a nice shot that many of us would like to get.

    Really nice detail in the gull shot, too.
    http://catographer.smugmug.com/

    Shooter on a shoestring.
  • MaestroMaestro Registered Users Posts: 5,395 Major grins
    edited October 20, 2008
    I agree with Harry. Wildlife photography can be maddeningly frustrating. The eagle is not bad by any means and the gull portrait is very, very good.
    Stephen
    www.capture-the-pixel.com

  • nrmdisknrmdisk Registered Users Posts: 182 Major grins
    edited October 20, 2008
    Ric...I've always felt that even a bad picture of a bald eagle is better than no shot at all! (Kind of like the saying that "even a bad day shooting (or golfing, or sailing or add your favorite activity here) is better than a great day at work!!!"). Many people go their entire lives without seeing one...you had the privilege of watching a family for 6 days; even if the pictures were not to your liking, you've had the experience!

    Bad lighting or not, I like the shot...ok, so it's not a wall-hanger, but I like the timing. And the gull is great!

    N
    *************************************
    Neil MacDonald
    Richmond BC
    http://nrmdisk.smugmug.com

    Oly E-510, 14-42, 50-200, EC-14, EC-20
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  • Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited October 20, 2008
    Cato wrote:
    The eagle may not be the "wall hanger", but it's still a nice shot that many of us would like to get.

    Really nice detail in the gull shot, too.

    I'm not complaining about the experience...I enjoyed myself.

    Thanks!:D
  • Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited October 20, 2008
    Maestro wrote:
    I agree with Harry. Wildlife photography can be maddeningly frustrating. The eagle is not bad by any means and the gull portrait is very, very good.

    Thanks, Stephen. :D

    Sometimes we try too hard and frustrate ourselves with our own expectations. Some of the best shots I have...I just fell into.
  • Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited October 20, 2008
    Thanks! :D
    even a bad picture of a bald eagle is better than no shot at all!

    I used to feel that way. I've seen scads of Baldies over that last two years. Anyone that thinks they are rare are mistaken (that used to include me).

    On this trip, I passed a Baldy scavenging on the four lane I was on. Kind of hard to get a shot at 75 mph!wings.gif Talking to the locals...this is the norm. Kind of takes them off the pedestal that I've had them on all my life. Which, to me, is a sad thing.
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