Bald Eagle, Alaska – Image 2566

I switched to full-time digital photography last May and this image was one of my first shoots. When a bald eagle glides down to pick a herring off the water, it will often transfer the catch from its feet to its beak in midair. I was shooting the eagle with my 80-400 totally racked out giving me an equivalent focal length of around 600mm. I was hand holding, using an ISO of 200 and focus-tracking to get this flying bird sharp. This image illustrates the month of March in my Southeast Alaska 2009 Calendar. Camera: Nikon D300, Lens: 80-400 f/3.5-5.6 Nikkor, Digital.-Mark Kelley