Formerly known as a Northwestern Crow, this American Crow added to the Eagle fun during my Eagles Galore Workshops in Alaska. I love the frost on its feet.
Bald Eagle Blizzard Flight
An immature Bald Eagle on final approach during my Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska. I chose the newly released combination of the Sony a9 mark III and Sony 300 f/2.8 lens for the 120 fps frame rate of the a9 III and the incredible sharpness and extremely narrow depth-of-field of the 300 f/2.8 to ensure I captured direct eye contact while obliterating the background to make the subject pop. The snow was the icing on the cake :)
Bald Eagle in flight Sony a9III with Sony 300 f/2.8 and doubler
Here is another Bald Eagle from my recently concluded Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska. I used the new Sony a9III paired with the new Sony 300 f/2.8 and the Sony 2X tele-extender. My settings were wide open at f/5.6, ISO 6,400 and 1/5,000 of a second shutter speed.
When I picked up the Sony a9 Mark III for the first time, I noticed how fast the autofocus was. I didn’t expect much, as the Sony a1 has worked flawlessly for me since its release in January 2021. The new a9 mark III acquires autofocus quicker and reacts to unpredictable movement even better than expected; it is faster and more capable than the Sony a1.
The new Sony 300 f/2.8 lives up to my expectations. It has faster autofocus than the 400 f/2.8 and incredible edge-to-edge image sharpness. It is also light, compact, and easy to hold.
I was blown away by the autofocus and image quality when paired with the Sony 2X tele-extender. This full-frame image is a good example of how well the autofocus of the combined lens and tele-extender works; captured at the near end of the autofocus limit, this is the point where auto-focus usually fails.
I am so impressed that I am considering selling off my Sony a1 inventory!
Bald Eagle in a Snow Storm a la Sony a9III and 300 f/2.8 & KUDOS
I am home from hosting two epic back-to-back Eagles Galore Workshops in Alaska. The weather was excellent, with both groups using all of their boat time (we loved the daily four-hour trips). Both groups got a fair mix of weather, including the prized SNOW!
There is so much to say about the incredible new Sony a9 III and the new Sony 300 f/2.8; perhaps I should keep it all to myself to keep an edge and stay one step ahead of the competition - smile.
Black-capped Chickadee in Flight a la Sony a9 Mark III at ISO 25,600
Sony a9 mark III Initial thoughts
Since receiving a preproduction model, I have intensely tested the new Sony a9 mark III. I had hoped to write a mini-review by now, but it simply wouldn’t be objective, fair or accurate this early on. There is a new level of menu item adjustments (yes, even more choices to make), with too many combinations to test everything thoroughly. I received my production models early last week, and I will write a full review and let you know the best settings once I get home from my Alaska Eagles Galore Workshops in mid-March (Two spots have opened up due to cancellations). Until then, stay tuned for tidbits (bits & bobs).
I wanted to test the camera as much as freeze the wingtips, so I adjusted my ISO to 25,600 (Which happens to be the camera’s maximum native sensitivity), shutter speed to 1/5,000s and shot wide open at f/8 (600 f/4 lens plus 2X extender). I can honestly say I am impressed so far; I applied some noise removal software (in Adobe Camera Raw) and love the resulting images.
The auto-focus works even better than the now three-year-old flagship, the Alpha 1. Still, my time with difficult-to-photograph birds has been limited, and I haven’t tried all of the AF menu setting combinations, so I feel it is too early to make the final judgement on how much better.
120 Frames per second RAW capture is insane! You must learn to become a ruthless editor and cull everything but the best images. Gone are the days of my wishing for a slightly later or earlier frame to get a better wing position! This camera is a real game-changer!
Great Grey Owls LOVERS
Happy Valentine's Day
This image was made in Ontario, Canada, on January 26, 2005. I have a series of about 80 images that I kept from this incredible moment in a field behind a water treatment plant in Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada. Witnessing the affection, vocalizations, and gestures these two Great Grey Owls performed was incredibly touching and unforgettable!
Snowy Owl
Here is a Snowy Owl from a recent private Snowy Owl Photo Tour. Snowy Owls and snow have been in short supply this winter in southeast Canada, and this beauty showed up more than two months late!
I used the new Sony a9 III paired with my Sony 200-600mm zoom lens. Although we were close and using the van as a blind, I never got to photograph it blasting off as planned because it sat there until dark. It looks somewhat alert after being dive-bombed by a raven.
Short-eared owl
This was the last frame from the first of my Winter Owl workshops, which concluded yesterday. The snow was a welcome treat after many weather-related challenges (Rain & tropical weather)!
The Short-eared Owl was first described in 1763 by Danish bishop and amateur naturalist Erich Ludvigsen Pontoppidan. They have also been called the Evening Owl, Marsh Owl, Bog Owl, Grass Owl, Meadow Owl, Mouse-hawk, and Flat-faced Owl.
Bald Eagle Old Man Winter
Eagles Galore workshop in Alaska update
There are only two spots left for my Eagles Galore workshop from March 10 to 14, 2024. Click HERE to learn more if you would like to produce a portfolio full of amazing Bald Eagle images.
Sony Roadshow update
The 2023 Sony Roadshow was a huge success! We drove almost 11,000km across Canada and back in mixed conditions: It was beautiful to leave during the peak of Autumn colour in Quebec and Ontario and then drive all the way back across Canada in the snow!
Special shout-out to the team at Sony Canada, Vistek, Don’s Camera, McBain Camera, Henry’s and London Drugs for sponsoring the events!
Gray-crowned Rosy Finch
Here is a Gray-crowned Rosy finch from my Eagles Galore and so much more workshop in Alaska. We carefully placed some birdseed just over the edge of the snowbank after a foot of fresh snow fell overnight.
Did you know? A group of rosy-finches are collectively known as a "bouquet" of finches.
Bald Eagle Snowy Portrait
A Bald Eagle photographed during my Eagles Galore Workshop with the Sony FE 100 to 400mm G Master lens @ 330mm while it was lightly snowing.
Bald Eagle Wing Stretch
Another from my Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska. Being close enough to capture this image at 224mm is always a thill!
Two Bald Eagles
Join me in Alaska in March for adventure, fun, learning and Eagles galore! Learn more about my March 5-9 & March 10-14 Eagles Galore Workshop HERE.
Bald Eagle
There is still space for my Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska. Join me in Alaska for Eagles Galore, adventure and a portfolio full of Eagle images.
Bald Eagle Call of The Wild in a blizzard
After the morning shoot was cancelled because the waves were too high during my Eagles Galore Workshop, we doubled down on the afternoon shoot with twice as much boat time and lucked out when it started to snow. This is an Immature or sub-adult Bald Eagle calling as it was chasing an adult with fish - Although I am happy to have this frame, I had too much glass to capture the chase, including the adult with the fish - it happens :)
Bald Eagle Calling in light snow
Another Bald Eagle from a magical snowy day during my Eagles Galore workshops in Alaska. I noticed this perch early on and never saw an Eagle land on it for the first few days of my trip. Things improved when it started to gently snow :) ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ker. You can read more about the Bald Eagle call in my post from September HERE: THE BALD EAGLE CALL.
Bald Eagle banking in light snow
Bald eagles are amazing flyers and their aerial acrobatics are simply amazing; the air passing through their feathers when they dive sounds like a jet engine. This Eagle was photographed during my Eagles Galore Workshop using my Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens at its maximum aperture to render the dark cliffs in the background as out-of-focus as possible to make the bird and the snowflakes pop.
Bald Eagle Frosty Stare
I am absolutely positive this Eagle was wondering what the heck I was doing belly crawling up to it in the snow. It let me get up to minimum focusing distance of the Sony 200-600mm lens which is 2.4 meters (7.87 feet). Which is close enough to have made a great full-frame image with an iPhone.
Bald Eagle on the run
A Bald Eagle runs across a fresh blanket of snow with its wings spread wide. With a maximum wingspan of 2.44 m (88 in = more than 7 feet) there is no doubt that they are impressive raptors to get close to.
We were at the boat before sunrise and quickly sailed across Kachemak Bay in time for the Eagles on the fresh snow. As the light intensity grew through the clouds, the fresh blanket of snow reflected light to illuminate every detail on the Eagles dark feathers. “Snow as fill” is a term I coined about 30 years ago during an owl shoot - smile.
Bald Eagle Landing in snow
A Bald Eagle landing in the snow during my Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska. We had fresh snow reflecting the soft overcast light against the underside of the Eagles which resulted in some incredible details in the dark feathers.