Having mountains so close to many of my favorite birding locations is a double-edged sword.
The majority of my habitual bird photography locations butt up against the west side of the Wasatch Mountains. Typically the mountains rise over a mile above the valley floor so they cast a giant shadow to the west for a long time after official sunrise which means I miss out on most of the well known ‘golden hour’ of beautiful warm light. Since birds are often most active in the early morning I miss a big chunk of the best shooting time.
And those mountains bite me for a second reason. Most of our clouds and weather systems approach from the west or northwest and when they hit the mountains they’re typically stuck there for an inordinate amount of time. Clouds hanging over the mountains often keep my shooting locations in shade for much of the morning when there’s nothing but blue sky and sunshine everywhere else. Whoever coined the phrase “mountains make their own weather” knew what they were talking about.
Farmington Bay WMA is especially prone to this unfortunate phenomenon because it sits in a jog in the mountains that funnels clouds over that area and keeps them there. For 13 years now I’ve called it the “Farmington Curse”.
But the mountains can also be a huge asset to the bird photographer.
1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
They often provide backgrounds for my flight shots that I like very much. I’m generally not a huge fan of plain blue sky or white sky (high key) backgrounds but I can very often get mountains in the background and I nearly always like having them there. Those kinds of backgrounds are unavailable to most bird photographers so they provide a distinctive flavor to many of my flight shots.
This is an older photo of an adult Bald Eagle at Farmington in winter that illustrates my point. In winter the sun is far to the south so I have good side light on the eagle but the mountains in the background are still in shade so they provide a dark and non-homogenous backdrop that I find much more interesting than plain blue or white sky backgrounds.
I’ve never posted this photo before for a reason that borders on silly. I have a habit of judging sharpness by the crispness of the eye, particularly the pupil or catch light if either or both can be seen. But this eagle has what photographers sometimes call a ‘blown eye’, damage to the eye that distorts the pupil shape, resulting in a pupil that isn’t as well defined as I’d expect from a sharp photo.
So at first glance the eye doesn’t look as sharp to me as it should be.
But a tight crop of the same photo reveals that it’s plenty sharp, especially for a bird in flight. It also shows the blown eye in much better detail and highlights the presumed fish blood on the tip of its bill.
So I’ll take my mountains, even though they can be a curse as well as a blessing. They’re eye candy for the casual observer as well.
Ron
Personally that eye wouldn’t bother me. But I’ve deleted a LOT of shots where the nictitating membrane is drawn across the eye. *That* bugs me.
They don’t get much better.
I appreciate that, Jim.
I feel like I can reach out and touch the eagle — this shot has definite 3D vibes. I also appreciate amount of detail the tight crop allows us to see. This is one beautiful eagle.
In the tight crop, there seems to be a little ridge running from the tip of the nare up along the “bridge” of the eagle’s “nose.” I wonder if the eye trauma might be related. (As someone who had broken her nose twice in the same year when she was a kid, I tend to notice when a schnozz is out of whack).
Thank you, Marty. I see what you’re referring to but I’m not sure if it’s natural or not.
Beautiful picture.
Thank you, Jean.
The bird is so sharp. It almost looks like a cutout.
Thanks, Arwen.
This photo is sublime in many ways. The details of the plumage, the position of the bird, a perfect light and an ideal background. A beauty!
Thanks very much, Laval.
I do like the idea of “moodiness” of photo to match mood of our nation — and our symbol of nationhood — but I detect a faint smile behind that lipstick, and I don’t think it’s because she ate. Beautiful, beautiful eagle, beautifully captured!
Thank you, Chris.
Nature is heart balm and solace to me – despite her being sometimes an inconvenient dog of the female persuasion.
The very best of artists, and her palettes and galleries are spectacular. And this shot epitomises just why I feel that way.
Still smiling at the running lipstick comment though.
Thanks, EC. Sallie’s lipstick comment made me chuckle too.
Beautiful light on the eagle! I like having the mountains in my shots. My lens does not soften them as much as yours. And yes the mountains hold those clouds. Yesterday Antelope Island was sunny on the east side, cloudy and foggy on the west. It was like on two different islands. I stopped by Farmington in the late afternoon and it was dark and overcast. I still had fun taking some photos of pied grebes. I will see if I get a few posted today. I took over 1000 photos yesterday.
April, I saw some of your photos of the Virginia Rail. Very neat to get one out in the open like that.
Nice, Ron. Really nice. I took the mountains to be thin, interesting clouds until I read your explanation. The detail is hard to appreciate without the crop, as it often is in the case of photos that include a large subject fairly far away presented fairly small on a screen. The blood lets us know the bird is well fed.
Thanks, Nancy. Yeah, I don’t think that bird was going hungry.
That you relate the challenges you encounter in your photography, whether weather related or any of the other myriad frustrations or complications you contend with while getting the photographs you do enhances my appreciation and enjoyment of them. But I’m guessing you kinda knew that.
Lyle, I suspected as much but it’s always nice to have that kind of suspicion confirmed…
Oh dear, I beg to differ with you! I do not consider the beauty of nature to be eye candy. Candy being empty calories, nature filled with nourishment for the soul of the beholder. That aside, the photo is spectacular! And always love the close ups.
Probably a poor choice of words on my part, Jamila.
Forgiven!
Just a magnificent composition, right down to the lighting ! Growing up
in the Salt Lake Valley, I always experienced the mountains as a claustrophobic
confinement…it took years of living away from them to appreciate the beauty
of their
powerful presence. I’m glad they lend good background to your work !
Kris, growing up in western Montana very close to Glacier National Park and then living most of my adult life along the Wasatch Front I feel completely lost, both literally and figuratively, without mountains on the horizon.
Wow, Wow, Wow, Ron!! Thank you SO much for posting this spectacular capture of my favorite Raptor!! I’ll have to share this with my baby Sister & her Son, Nick who juts finished earing his Eagle Scout badge!! Only 4% of Boy Scouts earn the Eagle Scout Badge. This is the perfect post for them today!!
Thank you, Jo Ann. And kudos to Nick!
Just a Happy New Year to you, looking forward to looking at your wonderful photos and reading your interesting remarks. Thank you so much!
Thanks, Mary. I wish you the same.
Beautiful photo and I really like that background. The white of the eagle really stands out well with that background. Only top photographers would find fault with that eye. The average person seeing this photo is just going to say “Wow that is beautiful.” Envy is the reaction that comes from this guy who has taken at least two thousand eagle photos. Thanks for posting Ron.
Thanks, Everett. Actually I don’t find fault with that eye, other than it makes me misjudge sharpness. That blown eye was presumably caused naturally so it is what it is. Besides, I think it’s interesting so I was happy to document it.
gorgeous shot. Presumed blood? No, surely her lipstick is running.
Geez Sally, I never thought of that possibility. I’ll have to be more receptive to alternative explanations… 🙂
I’d like to echo Mark’s comment: your posts are a pleasure to read. And I agree with Judy about the moodiness, which it occurs to me might be somewhat appropriate for our national symbol this week …
Good point about this week’s timing, Cathy.
I enjoy your prose almost as much as your photography. I’m learning a lot about the birds and loving all the descriptions about where you shoot. Each post adds detail to your beautiful area in my mind’s eye.
Thanks very much, Mark. Your first sentence in particular means a lot to me.
The mountains DO provide a wonderful background in this case – good contrast with the eagle and a certain “moodiness” to the shot. Double edged sword as is often the case with photography…….😀
Thanks, Judy. I agree about the mood of the photo.