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Nikon
F4S camera Nikkor AF 300mm/f4 lens
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| Some of my most memorable photographs are featured in this section, along with photo tips and the story behind the making of each photograph. I hope these images inspire you to go out and experience your own memorable moments. |
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Nikon
F4S camera Nikkor AF 300mm/f4 lens
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| The first morning was cloudy, and I had
refrained from taking too many uninspiring photos of eagles against white sky; the second
morning was foggy, and I had stayed in the cramp blind for seven hours before giving up.
This third morning could not have been scripted any better -- it was perfectly
still, with clear blue sky, and the first bald eagle that landed on the snag
dislodged a shower of sparkling frost. It was a magical moment that quickly erased bad
memories from the first two unproductive mornings. From previous experience I had found the 500/f4 lens to be too long, physically, to use effectively in the narrow confines of this particular blind. The compromise was a compact 300/f4 lens matched with a 1.4X teleconverter, for an effective focal length of 420mm. My attention was completely focused on that first bald eagle as 36 frames ripped through the camera. As the film rewind motor whirred I looked away from the view finder and glanced through the blind's small opening, and was amazed by the sight -- there were six bald eagles on the snag! I had been so absorbed with photographing the first eagle that I hadn't noticed the arrival of the other five. The removal of teleconverter and reattachment of camera to 300mm lens sounded very loud, and seemed to take forever. Fortunately, the eagles didn't seem to notice, and continued posing nicely. My eye went back to the view finder, and excitement was instantly replaced with disappointment -- I could only frame three eagles. The angle of view of the 300mm lens was too narrow to cover all six birds. The 80-200mm zoom in my truck would have been perfect, but I had left it there thinking I would never use it from the blind. Oh well, three eagles then... After the initial disappointment had passed and my rational side regained control I realized the top three eagles and the branches of the snag formed a nicely balanced, graphic composition. The second roll of the morning ripped through faster than the first. While on the third roll I noticed the three eagles were not equally sharp -- they were perched on two separate branches, and were not on the same plane of focus. I closed down two stops, to f/8, and checked the depth-of-field preview. That was the only time I can recall ever using that feature on wildlife. As I started to photograph at the smaller aperture the closest eagle opened its beak and let out a series of calls that pierced the morning stillness and sent shivers down my spine. The magic was back, and I would long remember the sights and sounds of that perfect morning. FINAL THOUGHTS On the light table the photos taken at f/8 are much better than those taken at f/4 because the added depth of field makes all three eagles look acceptably sharp. Even though the f/4 slides are inferior, and relegated to the drawer of permanently unfiled slides, I can't get myself to throw them out because of that memorable moment in the blind. Maybe I can use one of them at a slide presentation to make the point about paying attention to depth of field when photographing wildlife... I have not been back the Lower Klamath Wildlife Refuge in a couple of years, so if you would like the latest information about eagles and photography blinds, contact Dave Menke, Outdoor Recreation Planner (and wildlife photographer): Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges, 4009 Hill Road, Tulelake, CA 96134. Tele: (530) 667-2231.
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