For a British-born bird photographer living in Alaska, the trifecta of ideal wind, sun, and tide conditions came together on one magical day. The result was a dynamic photo of a bald eagle with a six-foot wing span snatching its dinner from the surface of the sea, with composition so perfect it rivals a painting.
Alan Murphy, 62, is a full-time professional bird photographer living in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. He likes to aim for a “full portfolio” of a bird’s life, including shots of birds posing, mating, hunting, displaying, and singing. For the last 20 years, he has led photo expeditions across the United States and internationally.
During an expedition to Kachemak Bay just outside of Homer, Alaska, his group got lucky.
“Here we have hundreds of bald eagles that hunt in the inlets of the bay,” Murphy told The Epoch Times. “I charter landing craft boats where the front of the boat can drop down to water level, allowing us to get our cameras at water level. We may shoot hundreds of images, with only a couple of ‘keepers’ with the eagle close enough or showing a dynamic pose.”
Murphy captured the majesty of the bald eagle’s hunt to perfection in one photo of an eagle banking, with one wing touching the water and a fish in its talons. The image has since gone viral on social media and seen netizens flocking to Murphy’s comments section in their thousands.
He said: “It shows the stunning Alaska scenery in the background, and two other eagles ready to try for the fish in case this one misses. The wing position is also very powerful in this image; all wind, sun, and tide elements came together on this day.”
Achieving clear wide-angle shots of the eagles fishing in the Alaskan sea requires checking for the right conditions each day.
“The sun direction dictates an afternoon shoot, as we need the light on the mountains, the tides need to be high, in order to get the boat into the back of the inlet, and we need the wind at our back so that the birds will be facing us as they grab the fish,” he said.
With the right conditions, Murphy and his crew anchor their landing craft boat, lower the ramp, and lay down to get their lenses at water level. Then it’s just a matter of waiting for the birds to “do their thing.”
Murphy, who shoots with a Nikon Z9 camera and 600mm lens, said one of his favorite facts about these majestic birds’ fishing habits is that they rarely snatch fish weighing over five pounds.
“When they do, they approach with talons forward,” he said. “Once they grab the fish, they roll over it and use their powerful wings to pull the fish from the water. The mature adults do this in one smooth, effortless motion. [It’s] an amazing thing to see, let alone photograph.”
Murphy was born in London, England, to Irish parents, and grew up in the suburbs of Dublin where he had many farms and woods to explore. He quickly developed an interest in birds and spent his free time studying their behavior.
He qualified as a hairstylist and practiced for 30 years, immigrating to the United States at the age of 24 and opening a hair salon. He also borrowed a camera and telephoto lens to help explore the numerous native bird species he had never seen before.
“I quickly fell in love with the challenge of getting closer to my subject, the technology of learning camera exposure, and the creativity of forming an image that I had in my mind. I found a new love and hobby,” Murphy said. “I would spend my weekends taking bird photos as a way of recharging my soul. When I turned 40, I decided to switch careers.”
In the beginning, Murphy snapped photos for field guides with the birds in full frame. As his practice developed, he began to include more habitats and complex action shots. He has always been inspired by the self-trained American artist and ornithologist, John James Audubon.
“Audubon’s paintings always inspired me, as he would have each species painted with the appropriate vegetation or perch,” said Murphy. “I try to emulate this in my work, with species on gorgeous perches and clean backgrounds.”
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