4 Considerations for Photographing Eagles During the Winter in Juneau, Alaska
One of my personal misconceptions about eagles was that they disappear from Alaska during the winter months. In reflection, I’m not 100% sure why I thought that - perhaps because they follow the salmon runs up the streams (just like the bears). However, after spending a couple of winters here near Auke Bay, I can confidently say that there are still eagles around when the snow flies. While the quantity or volume of eagles may be less than the summer months, I can still hear their cries calling out to one another before I see them soaring overhead or landing in a tree.
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better”
How Snow Impacts Photographing Eagles
In my opinion, photographing eagles during the winter is harder than the summer and here’s why. The Bald Eagle has a white head, which makes it harder for my camera to focus on against a white, snowy backdrop. There’s also less light during these months. Not only are the days shorter in length (right now I believe the sunrise is around 8:30 am and the sunset is around 3:00 pm) but the amount of light that is available throughout the daytime is often hidden amidst swirling snowflakes and clouds.
4 Tips for Photographing Eagles During Winter
If you are gearing up to photograph eagles during the winter time, consider these 4 things:
ISO: Due to limited lighting, you may need to push your comfort level with your ISO. I know this can be tricky due to the speed of an eagle when it is in-flight as you’re potentially increasing your shutter speed as well (which would encourage you to increase your ISO even further). Remember - a higher ISO means more noise in your photo. So push the ISO… but not too much.
Listen: When the daylight is dim, I find that it is easier to spot an eagle once I hear it call out. This is different than in the summer months when often you can sight an eagle first and without any issues of visibility.
Tripod: Mandatory.
Focus: If the snow is heavy (like in the photo immediately following), you may have a tough time focusing on the eagle instead of the fluffy snowflakes. Try to remove as much distance between you and the eagle and wait until there’s a break in the snowfall. If you’re really, really struggling to gain focus, consider a higher f-stop, focusing on another subject that’s near the same depth-of-field as the eagle then repositioning your lens (to point at the eagle).
Photography during winter
The winter months in Juneau, Alaska can shed limited light and snowy, cold conditions but you will reap the reward of beautiful eagle shots if you hang in there.
What are your tips/tricks/considerations for photographing eagles during the winter?
