"Wings of Liberty: The Bald Eagle"
Hello everyone and welcome to Lens on MS life. Yes, I finally came up for a name for my blog. I have been doing a lot of work behind the scenes and because I want to celebrate the hard work I have put into this project and I am bringing you this blog. If you been keeping up with my blogs you may remember how much I been mentioning my desire to capture these amazing birds of prey. But, before I get any further I do want to mention the donation button I have added on the home screen. If you want to support my photography and don’t feel like buying a print but still want to show support please consider supporting my small business. Also, let me know what you think of the new layout. I have been constantly updating making sure it’s pleasing to the eye but also that it helps you navigate much easier. All the prints in this drop were especially curated by me. I made sure to size it to how I want it printed for best quality. I am only offering framed prints for the Eagle, and the Barred Owl. I believe this wonderful birds deserve the best. I hope you enjoy a look behind the scenes!
Last year, as I was visiting Shenandoah National Park I noticed a bird that caught my eye. Unfortunately, at the time I did not have the proper equipment or the skill to try to capture this bird. Ever since, I worked and saved up some money to upgrade my lens and that made a world of a difference. My first day out shooting with this lens I was amazed on how sharp it was. During the first shooting session I had such an interest in this little birds that were out looking for food. Eventually, I started to set goals for myself and that’s how I began researching the Bald Eagle. I found a nest in Riverbend but they were just too far away. But, I kept going out in the cold temperatures and days after some bad weather it was definitely a struggle indeed. As I said I started at Riverbend Park, I met a nice gentleman who informed me that there was another nest at Algonkian Regional Park. That’s where my search continued.
Algonkian Regional Park is a hidden gem here in Northern Virginia. I started constantly going there sometimes 3 times a week. On top of my normal schedule this was becoming very exhausting for me. The first day in that park and I found a pair of Eagle’s across the Potomac in a small island. They were still too far, I had invested in a tele converter for the lens as well in hopes that I can get more range and it was still not enough. I started looking around the park observing the birds around there and came across some very friendly birds. If you remember on my first drop of the bird prints collection the red-headed woodpecker was a bird I featured who I became very familiar with. I also got to meet a lot of very lovely white-throated sparrows. The birds featured in this drop where mostly captured the day I captured the Eagle. One of my luckiest day of shooting for sure.
As I was researching the sighting I kept seeing that the Eagles kept being spotted in this park. In a trail call the Sanctuary Trail. This trail was not easy to find, the whole time I was thinking that the entrance was through the main park. Once I figured it out I started my adventure and that’s where I met the second gentleman who pointed me in the direction and showed me where I can go to see some big birds. He got me a bit excited I knew now that I was on the right track. I went to this trail after some very bad weather and I wasn’t able to reach the end. That was the day I capture the Barred Owl. I left that day feeling great about this trail and the possibilities I may have in the future. Seeing an owl in person is definitely one of the coolest things I’ve experience in my life.
On Martin Luther King Jr holiday, there was a possibility of snow in the forecast for that Tuesday so I wanted to get ahead of the storm. I decided that I was going to go Monday to check out this trail once more. Woke up at 5am and saw that it was snowing outside so I decided to go back to sleep. I couldn’t sleep comfortable I went to check the roads and they were clear. I immediately grab my stuff and started going on my way that was around 8:45am. I decided to bring a new tripod I had just received a day prior. I wanted to make sure I captured a Kingfisher I had seen the week prior. My goal that day was to capture that Kingfisher and it was the main reason why I left that morning. I started walking the trail at around 9am and it started snowing really hard. I decided to keep pushing I was feeling lucky that day. As I was about to get to the entrance of the trail something caught my eye and flew away. I tried following it and was able to track it down to the entrance of the trail it was a beautiful red-shouldered hawk. That’s when I heard it, the call of the Kingfisher. I followed it and found him in a branch but I was not able to capture him. I did film some good video of him though. As it started flying down the stream I started to follow him. My gear is very heavy and walking with it in the snow was really weighing me down.
As I came around a curve I noticed the Kingfisher had flown down the stream. As I decided to start following the trail again I heard something big land up above me. There they were the pair of Bald Eagles I had been searching for. Just perched up in a tree across the stream. What a sight that was to have this incredible bird in front of me was definitely an experience I surely won’t forget anytime soon. My hard work of the past few week, the time and dedication was right in front of me. A very rewarding feeling especially after so many fail attempts and pain I fought through some days all of that for this moment. What a great feeling to feel like I accomplished my goal. As I took videos and photos I started hearing someone coming from the right side of the trail. A nice gentleman who was walking his cute dog told me there was another eagle across the pond that was there and that there was a younger one at the end of the trail as well perch on a tree. He also showed me a tree that had a hollow he told me he had seen an owl there told me just to follow the trail and the first curve I will see the tree. Sure enough I started to continue down when a loud bang sound was heard that alerted the Bald Eagles. The one that was across the pond flew towards me and the other one that was in front of me flew away. I then walk a bit more down and got a better angle where I capture this majestic bird of prey. I started hearing the Kingfisher again so I continued on as I was getting to the curve I noticed a tree with a hollow up ahead of me and sure enough there the barred owl was again. I found out that that tree hollow could potentially be it’s nest since I had seen her a couple days before exactly by that tree hollow. After I saw the owl I immediately heard the Kingfisher again I looked over in time to witness why exactly this bird is called the Kingfisher. A precision dive and the prey is caught is amazing to see it in person. It was around this time when the snow started to really coming down heavier and decided to turn around and come back another day to finish the trail. On my way back I past the bridge where the entrance to the trail is and took a nasty tumble.
The whole time I was walking I was trying to be as careful as I could be to ensure I didn’t fall and crack my camera again. Fortunately, I was able to laugh it off as I landed in my back and was able to get up just fine. It’s moments like that I am reminded just how much work I’ve actually put into this project. I surely do hope you love it and show it support. Your shares, likes, and follows on my social media pages helps my work gain traction and helps me reach a bigger audience. This majestic bird is the national bird of the United States of America it even appears on there seal. They are responsible for balancing our eco systems. Their presence usually indicates a good thriving eco system. Measuring between 30-40 inches, they have a wingspan of about 7-8 feet in length, and weighs between 8-14 pounds. There nest can reach up to 10 feet across and weigh about 2,000lb. There impressive wingspan size allows the Bald Eagle to fly 10,000 feet in the air. They are known to have a grip that’s 10 times stronger then a human’s. A true master of the sky I am glad I got to see them.
Other than getting this amazing shot. I finished shooting my first roll of film. This is my first roll so I am not expecting something crazy. I am hoping my good health continues so I can continue shooting the projects I have in the works. I will definitely do one more drop of the bird print collection I believe that would be the last one. I am going to be shooting street photography, and maybe some product photography next. After the bird print collection is done I plan to release a very special drop that I am currently working on. I have not neglected my health though I am paying very close attention to how my body is feeling and if I need a break I am trying to tell myself to do so. I will turn on the comments on this blog if you want to leave some feedback or have any questions. I hope you check out the collection is definitely a labor of love from me. Searching for these majestic birds I got to meet a lot of interesting birds around the area and I have grown to care for them. This style of photography is definitely one of my favorites and you will definitely be seeing more of these wonderful animals on my portfolio. Also, follow my social media I been really putting in a lot of work into every post. I will be releasing special clips I got of this majestic animals there. I hope you enjoyed this blog and enjoyed the behind the scenes and follow my blog for more behind the scenes to know what projects I am currently working on. I, also like to share my experience with MS as I want to inspired someone going through a rough time to keep going. I want to show you how much hard work pays off. I have been feeling great lately thanks to my infusion in December so I am definitely taking advantage on I have been feeling. But, even then you have to know your limit I got a little sick from being out in the cold. Next week, there is supposed to be a warm up and if I am feeling better you can expect me to be out there in nature. Again, if you wish to support my photography and any of the projects I am currently working on I will appreciate any donations.
Thank you all so much,
