Stan Bysshe of Marshall, Virginia, wins third place in our 2022 BirdWatching Photography Awards contest with this dramatic photo of a Bald Eagle in a snowstorm in Alaska.
“Winter weather on the Kachemac Bay, Alaska, can change in a minute,” Stan writes. “On this February windy, gray morning, the weather turned into a sudden snow squall. When photographing birds in flight in low light, I often think of panning. The blowing snow was a challenge to keep off the lens front element, and it took many shots at 20 fps just to get one with the head in focus. Luckily there were several eagles flying to and from a driftwood perch on the beach behind the inn where I was staying. So, while bad weather canceled our scheduled shoot, I had a chance to try working with slow shutter speeds.”
Gear and settings: Sony A1, Sony 200-600mm lens. Exposure data: f/6.3, 1/60, ISO 320, shot at 350mm, hand held.
Many thanks to our panel of guest judges: Contributing Editors Laura Erickson, Pete Dunne, and Brian E. Small; professional photographers Marie Read and Alan Murphy; Outdoor Photographer editors Wes Pitts and Kristan Ashworth; and Imaging Resource Managing Editor William Brawley.
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