Life is Soooooo Good (hint - Jets and Eagles)

PrescottPhotog

Hi Everyone,

I just want to start out explaining the "non wildlife" shots, even though you could consider them "birds" as most Airforce people do, they are the lead in to my story.

Saturday I was privilaged to get credentials to shoot our local Air Show. I shot 600 Raw files that I am still PP'ing.

Sunday I got to go to the airport and stand right next to the runway (by myself) and shoot this F-18 taking off. The show ended Saturday so the airport was empty at 9 am). It was the most incredible thing I have ever done. I almost couldn't hit the shutter button it was so awesome, especially when he hit the afterburners.

Here is a link to the full takeoff.. http://crd.smugmug.com/gallery/3606384 The originals are available to view.

Anyway, after sitting here all day and not getting through 200 of the air show shots it was time to get out of the house. I grabbed my camera and headed out to the lake just to sit for a while.

It was windy and nothing moved for a while. It was already very late in the day so I was about to give up and come home. Then all of a sudden the hawks showed up (I got 3 incredible shots, but will save them for later). Anyway, there were about 5 Harriers and 3 Coopers. They were all over the place and were actually chasing and harrassing the local Peregrine Falcon. They were to far away to get a good shot of the chase but they chased the Falcon all the way across the lake and kept bothering it.

Then all of a sudden the ducks went crazy so I knew there was something big bothering them (he says as he sat there with fingers crossed). As I was looking for the disturbance this beautiful creature appeared.. and the rest is history. I can honestly say that after this weekend and today I could hang my camera up and never look back.. but of course I won't cause it just seems to get better and better.

I hope you enjoy these shots.. I'm sorry for being so long winded and for posting so many photos but its just been a pretty amazing couple days.

#1 - P-51 Mustang

#2 - A-10 Thunderbolt (Warthog)

#3 - F/A-18 Hornet

#4 - NOW the fun begins

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12 (It landed on this sandbar.. and then flew off)

leaforte

Nice seque!

jwear

dam dam dam :cry no eagles in L.A. .Great shots very nice

Giphsub

Wow! I love that shot with the ducks scramming! All very good!

Harryb

Outstanidng eagle shots

BigAl

#9 is defintely the pick of the bunch for me

PrescottPhotog

leaforte wrote:

Nice seque!

Thanks Leaforte for viewing and for your comments.

PrescottPhotog

jwear wrote:

dam dam dam :cry no eagles in L.A. .Great shots very nice

Hi Jeff. Thanks for your comments. We don't have many around here either and this really made my day.

PrescottPhotog

Giphsub wrote:

Wow! I love that shot with the ducks scramming! All very good!

Hi Mike, Thanks for viewing. I was glad the shot you mentioned it came out so well. Normally something is out of focus in this type of shot especially with the lens I was using. Didn't want any Bokeh in this one.

PrescottPhotog

Harryb wrote:

Outstanidng eagle shots

Thanks Harry.. After seeing your great eagle shots last week I was pumped. Especially as unexpected as this guy showing up was. I had my fingers crossed as they downloaded to my computer.

PrescottPhotog

BigAl wrote:

#9 is defintely the pick of the bunch for me

Thanks for viewing Al. #9 did turn out nice. Thanks for your comment.

flygirl

Chris absolutely awesome . The eagle would make anyone's day and well the other flying objects are not too bad either. I am a pilot so can appreciate them ALL!!:D

dbaker1221

the eagle shots are pretty sensational

Bud1880

PrescottPhotog wrote:

I can honestly say that after this weekend and today I could hang my camera up and never look back.. but of course I won't cause it just seems to get better and better.

I've often wondered, after seeing all the incredible shots you folks put up here on DGrin, if any of you will ever attain that 'perfect' shot and hang it up. I guess you answered that for me.

Beautiful shots Chris.

Bud

Ric Grupe

I guess when an eagle wants to join your formation...you let him!

Great stuff, Chris.

raptorcaptor

Beautifull eagle shots Chris!

pathfinder

I thought you might get some whining about the lead in with the P-51 or the WartHog, but image #5 looks like a fighter jet coming in. #10 is great too.

What a great series.

Unless one has been at a wetland, when a big raptor arrives, they may not really know what we are talking about. But a quiet pond full of ducks and other birds, very suddenly gets Very Noisy, and then they all decide it is time to get the heck out of Dodge, because the Big Dog has arrived, and then you see the eagle or the osprey and you know why all the commotion. It is a sight to behold. You captured the whole scene very well.

Maestro

Man, I think I can read the tag on the eagle's ankle! What a spectacular series of shots! Awesome.

I do have one nit. The P-51 is not a jet.

PrescottPhotog

flygirl wrote:

Chris absolutely awesome

Hi Nancy.. Thank you for your comments. It was funny because when I was sitting at the lake I was still thinking of the F-18 shaking my bones when he hit the afterburners.. then this guy showed up. Two awesome adventures within two days.. what more can a guy ask for.

PrescottPhotog

dbaker1221 wrote:

the eagle shots are pretty sensational

Hi Dave. Thanks for viewing and for your comments.

PrescottPhotog

Bud1880 wrote:

I've often wondered, after seeing all the incredible shots you folks put up here on DGrin, if any of you will ever attain that 'perfect' shot and hang it up.Bud

Hi Bud.. Thank you for your comments. Through the years I've thought I had "my" perfect shot a couple dozen times.. but then as I view all the beautiful shots posted on D-Grin I grab my camera and head on out to get my "next" perfect shot.

I read an article from one of the Pro's that said before auto focus he had shot over 10,000 BIF's in film and out of those thousands he only had 3 that he thought were good enough to call his best. Pretty amazing stats.

PrescottPhotog

Ric Grupe wrote:

I guess when an eagle wants to join your formation...you let him! Great stuff, Chris.

Hi Ric, Thank for viewing and for your comments. I sort of felt sorry for this guy.. he showed up but nobody wanted to let him play with them. I don't understand why.. So he got his own island all to himself..

PrescottPhotog

raptorcaptor wrote:

Beautifull eagle shots Chris!

Hi Glenn. Thanks for your comments on the shots.

PrescottPhotog

pathfinder wrote:

Unless one has been at a wetland, when a big raptor arrives, they may not really know what we are talking about.

Hi Pathfinder. Thanks for your comments. It never ceases to amaze me when the big guys show up. Even the Geese and GBH's are up in the air. What is just as amazing is how they fly.. totally freaked out and totally helter-skelter.

PrescottPhotog

Maestro wrote:

I do have one nit. The P-51 is not a jet.

Hi Stephen.. Thanks for your comments. I know the P-51 isn't a jet but try to tell him that from this photo..

http://www.webblinks.com/postings/misc/p51_2.jpg

I don't think I would argue with either of them over semantics.

Maestro

PrescottPhotog wrote:

Hi Stephen.. Thanks for your comments. I know the P-51 isn't a jet but try to tell him that from this photo..

http://www.webblinks.com/postings/misc/p51_2.jpg

I don't think I would argue with either of them over semantics.

I didn't know you like warthogs too!

JDCostner

Okay Chris, I'm jealous!
Way to go Chris! I've not even seen the Eagles here but a couple times. No way close enough for a photo. Your's are excellent!

I was at the airshow also. Here's my gallery: http://JDCostner.smugmug.com/gallery/3605966/1/205200000

I had a good time but ran oput if memory. I guess 5 gigs isn't enough with a 40D.

Again, great work!

Later,
Jeff

PrescottPhotog

JDCostner wrote:

Way to go Chris! I've not even seen the Eagles here but a couple times. No way close enough for a photo. Your's are excellent!
Later, Jeff

Hi Jeff, Thanks for your comments and for viewing. The Air Show was really good this year, lots more military hardware, especially for a town as small as our. To bad they can't fly them at the shows.

NanaMo

Chris, these shots are unbe......lievable!!! You must be so excited about these photos!!! They are MAGNIFICANT!! I got shots of the Thunderbirds that I thought were great.....not any more!! Your photos are awesome...thanks for sharing.

Maureen

PrescottPhotog

NanaMo wrote:

Chris, I got shots of the Thunderbirds that I thought were great.....not any more.. Maureen

Maureen, I've seen your shots of the Thunderbirds and they are great. Thank you for your very nice comments.