Calm Photos

Like meeting a long, lost friend, and finding hope and inspiration in nature’s perfection.

That’s what it was like to spend an hour, up close and personal with Aquila Chrysaetos - the Golden Eagle. The opportunity to photograph this magnificent animal came on the last day of the annual conference of the North American Nature Photography Association, held just last week in Denver, Colorado. I captured this, as well as many other, images of other birds of prey during one of the many field trips sponsored by NANPA. All in all, the conference was an incredible learning experience for me. I’ve come back with so much new material, digital imaging methods and ideas that I don’t know where to begin, let alone some great new images. I also visited and photographed Roxborough State Park during another field trip held prior to the start of the conference.

This Golden Eagle is a 12-year-old male who obviously enjoyed having his portrait taken by a bunch of crazed nature photographers. He enjoyed it almost as much as the fresh rat that he was given just shortly after this image was captured. It is absolutely amazing to observe and photograph a Golden Eagle up close. Their talons are capable of applying 1200 lbs. of pressure per square inch. The biggest bone in my leg will crush at 800! Even though these guys sit at the top of their food chain, they still need all the help and protection we can give them. Raptors are the ultimate barometer of the health of the ecosystems.

In the near future I will be posting additional raptor images taken at the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program Environmental Learning Center, located in Ft. Collins, Colorado, including a Swainson’s Hawk, American kestrel, Great Horned Owl and Long-eared Owl.