Conclusions from the Golden Eagle workshop

It is now a week since I came back from my Golden Eagle workshop in Kalvträsk. What did I think of it all?

My host Conny Lundström and the co photographer Daniel Nordgren where both nice people and easy to deal with and that is important when you are to spend several hours together in the same space.

I came to Kalvträsk with one hope and that was to capture the beautiful Golden Eagle. It must be one of the most beautiful Eagles that I know of. It might seem bland in appearance, but I think it’s deceiving and the amber eyes are really something special.

I stayed for three days and I was lucky to see the Golden Eagle each day. The first day was spent alone in the hide and the two other days was spent in the hide with Daniel Nordgren. It is easier to be two because you get another pair of eyes to help you out and it’s also nice to have another person to talk to.

During the first day I managed to nail the “ordinary” portrait picture with the Golden Eagle staring straight into the lens. It’s nice to get that kind of portrait, but I wanted to do another kind of portrait when the Eagle has the back against the camera.

Why?

Because I wanted the Aperture to work for me creating a diffuse foreground that smoothly goes into a tack sharp image with the eye in focus.

I think I nailed the picture. The only aspect that I might want to change is maybe the angle from which I had to take the photo. It is good to be on the same level when you take a photo, but in this instance you can´t appreciate the Aperture like I wanted. Still I think it’s a darn good picture so I have placed it in my bird portfolio.

The second day was probably the most active with many birds buzzing outside the hide, but it was first on the last day that I got some good flying shots.

It is the same male Golden Eagle as the other photo. He went down onto the ground to investigate what the Ravens been doing there. I suspect I would have missed this if I’d been alone in the hide as it was Daniel that discovered the Eagle on the ground. I almost missed this as I had just put a lens in that direction without the camera attached. I did this because the action in that direction had been zero the previous days and I wanted to change between my cameras in the main direction to hopefully get some nice photos of the Jay´s in flight. So I had to put the camera with extender onto the lens all in the dark hoping not to disturb the Golden Eagle.

I managed to get ready just before the male took off and I got a good sequence of the bird flying low over the ground. This was really something spectacular to see because it isn´t often you see an Eagle low sniffing the ground like this.

I had three marvelous days and got nice photos each day even if the light wasn´t the best. I am also pondering upon going back for the winter season to hopefully see more Eagle interaction. It would be fun to do that together with other photographers because you always learn something when you’re out in the field like this on a workshop.

Don’t my photo album from Kalvträsk : The Golden Eagle of Kalvträsk 2012

Or the other blog post.

Arriving in Kalvträsk
Expedition Golden Eagle day 1
Expedition Golden Eagle day 2
Expedition Golden Eagle day 3