Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/05/31
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Why didn't you just go to Wanamaker's department store, or whatever they call it now, and shoot their bronze eagle? That was an impressive bird and you could do it with a wide angle! Mike D Original Message: ----------------- From: Kyle Cassidy KCassidy@asc.upenn.edu Date: Tue, 31 May 2005 09:32:00 -0400 To: lug@leica-users.org Subject: [Leica] Bald Eagle Photos; proving I'm far lazier than doug herr In 1980, Pennsylvania had only three pairs of nesting bald eagles. Today, there are something like 45 pairs, largely due to reintroduction. Hardly a stellar comeback, but a significant achievement nonetheless. I knew that to photograph a bald eagle in Pennsylvania would be a challenge, but one that I felt up for. In late 2003, a pair of bald eagles nested at the Beaver Run Reservoir in westmorland county. They hatched two babies and later that year, the father was shot by a turkey hunter but the two babies survived. Across from their aerie is a sheer 60 foot rock cliff with no road access that looks down from about 120 feet -- I knew this would be the vantage point from which the nest must be photographed. I called ye-professional-photo palace to rent a 600mm f4 AF-S and a 1.4x teleconverter, and looked into the proper gear backpack for climbing the rockface. Then I scheduled climbing lessons at the Centerville Rock Wall gym. Bob Tukkas was very helpful in teaching me piton and caribeaner skills. I slated two hours for the climb which left me with a dilema, I wanted to get there just as the crepuscular light broke over the nest, which would have me climbing at dark, a dangerous prospect. "Ah, what the hell," I figured, and took the lens rental money, bought a case of burbon and went to the philadelphia zoo and photographed Ritz and Glory with a 300mm where they sat, ignominiously, with an autographed (philadelphia eagles) football, looking very bored. http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/lj/2005/eagle.jpg Then I had ice cream and went home, realizing I'll never be half the photographer doug herr is, but I do have a case of burbon. _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ .