Eagle Eye
Eagle Eye
As a youngster, I had an exceptional eye for spotting wildlife. I would spot deer galavanting through a forest, nearly camouflaged, hundreds of yards away. In the backseat of the car, I would enthusiastically yell out every animal that I saw from the window of our moving Oldsmobile. Most of these trips involved us either going to soccer games/tournaments or summer trips to Winnipeg Beach, Albert Beach, or Birds Hill Park. There were always plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife along the way.
My family usually struggled to scan the landscape to see what I was looking at. However, they did eventually spot it after some pointing and directions. Their amazement to my quick sightings always brought forth some internal bewilderment, but it eventually landed me the nickname, “Eagle Eye”. Mom and dad still call me that to this day. I found out much later in life, that my vision is better than 20/20, so the quick sightings had an explanation, after all. That knack for spotting wildlife as a youngster segued into my passion for wildlife photography, landscape photography, and conservation as an adult.
During the early stages of the pandemic, I sought to photograph eagles in Oklahoma. At the time, I had recently procured a 2x extender for my Canon 70-200mm, and I wanted to test what I could capture with the new focal length. I found out that during late November to early December, eagles migrate into Oklahoma in search of a warm home and a stable food source. One of the many hotspots during this short window to photograph is the Pensacola Dam at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees between Disney and Langley. Many of the fish become stunned on their way through the dam as they release water, making it a prime fishing spot for eagles, gulls, blue heron, pelicans, and buzzards.
After driving roughy an hour from Tulsa with my friend Kasey Doak, we made it to the dam. Moments after exiting the her Jeep, it became very apparent that other photographers had the same goal in mind - photographing eagles! As soon as they spotted my gear, they invited us over, without hesitation, into the lineup to photograph with the group along the small area of shoreline. I can remember feeling intimidated by their camouflage, 600mm lenses with 1.4x extenders, and massive Gitzo tripod and gimbals. Despite it all, they made me feel included and helped me to capture some great firsts for me in wildlife photography. These photographers made this experience so memorable for me. Many of us became Facebook friends, and we all keep in touch regularly. Their wildlife photographs are phenomenal!
At the beginning of this year, I wanted to go beyond what I had currently done with wildlife photography. This meant that I needed to go bigger and better. After photographing a TU Football game with a borrowed 300mm, I decided that this would be the lens for me. I needed some help finding a 300mm 2.8 II on the used market. I DM’d one of the eagle photographers from my previous visit. This man had so graciously aided me with all of my questions about my camera over the last year and and whether he knows it or not, I consider him to be a mentor. He and his wife have posted some of the most wonderful photographs from their wildlife pursuits from across the nation. They inspire me to get out there and experience it weekly, no matter what.
As fate would have it, he had one listed for sale. All things were lining up just in time for the eagles to make their way into Oklahoma. I made the decision. I was going to do it. A week later, we met for me to pick up my new lens and to photograph eagles at the dam for a second time. I used the 300mm 2.8 with a 2x extender - handheld. Hey, I promise that a more suitable tripod for weight distribution is coming in the future. My arm was definitely sore from holding that setup for two hours, but I was delighted with the results! I spotted 25-30 eagles perched in the tree line across the waterway. While I waited patiently for the eagles to fly off of the tree, the photographers all joked amongst themselves and kept the mood light, even though the cold was bone-chilling.
There was a definite learning curve trying to fit the eagle within the composition while in flight and dive-bombing for fish. I think near the end, I got the hang of it. Fun fact, did you know that eagles can see four to eight times better than humans?
Follow your heart, wherever the desire to photograph takes you. Rejuvenate the soul by letting yourself be creative. Thanks again to everyone involved in making this eagle outing a memorable one!
-Eagle Eye
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