Eagle Eye Imaging

New bald eagle photos

Tony — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:31:07 GMT

By Tony Campbell
Eagle Eye Imaging

I made my first winter trip of 2008 along the Great River Road over the weekend, and I was able to get plenty of new bald eagle photos and some morning silhouette pictures of Canada geese and mallard ducks.

The temperature was very cold, but the sky was nice and clear and plenty of eagles were out fishing in the open waters. Ice chunks have begun to form in the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, and some eagles were spending their time riding on the ice while others spent the morning perched along the waterway.

My favorite photos of the day include one particularly cooperative eagle that allowed me to stand directly underneath it. Of course, it kept a close eye on me, and would often peek down at me from its perch.

My other favorite is a silhouette image that shows the vivid colors of the morning sky.

The good news is there was plenty of eagle activity and plenty of great light. The bad news is I seemed to be having an off day with my manual focus 600mm lens, so many of my 900 images have been moved to the delete folder. I did get some I was happy with, though, and hopefully I will do a better job on my upcoming eagle trips.

In all, we spotted approximately 100 eagles during our time along the rivers. Here are some more of the morning's photos.

This eagle (below) has just dropped its meal:

Bald Eagle in Edgar County

Tony — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 21:25:01 GMT

By Tony Campbell
Eagle Eye Imaging

Every winter I am accustomed to driving at least three hours one way to have a good opportunity to photograph bald eagles. Yesterday, though, I was able to just drive about 15 miles to get some new and unique pictures.

I received a call Saturday afternoon that an eagle was feeding on a dead deer just off the Lower Terre Haute Road. I ran to the car with my camera equipment and sure enough, the eagle was right where the caller said it would be. The eagle was spending time feeding on the deer, and then flying back to roost in a row of trees well off the roadway. I spent about five hours at the site waiting as the eagle went back and forth from the deer.

Eagles are not unheard of in this area. In the last few months I have spotted bald eagles near the Wabash River, and in the spring a golden eagle was perched in a tree along the Lower Terre Haute Road. And sightings in the area are becoming more and more frequent. But being able to get this close to a bald eagle is always a rare treat.

Photo included in children's farm book

Tony — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 20:56:25 GMT

By Tony Campbell
Eagle Eye Imaging

A photo of Everett Lau feeding the family chickens is included in a John Deere children's book called "All Around the Farm." The book, which includes more than 200 color photos and a poster, is available at Wal-Mart.

Everett's photo appears on Page 10 of the full color book. Two baby chick photos from the Lau farm were also included in the publication. One chick picture is within the book, and another appears on the poster.

These images were purchased as stock photos, so it was a surprise to us when we found out they were included in the book. Apparently the images were discovered accidentally when an area resident purchased the book at Wal-Mart and was reading it to her daughter. While flipping through the pages she spotted Everett.

Below are photos of the book cover, the page that feature's Everett's photo and an individual chick photo.

New whitetail deer images

Tony — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 21:49:27 GMT

By Tony Campbell
Eagle Eye Imaging

Several new whitetail deer images will soon be added to our stock galleries following a short trip to Smoky Mountain National Park earlier this week. Bryan Eastham of All Things Wild accompanied me on the trip, and we were blessed with warm temperatures, sunny skies and cooperative deer.

I haven't had time to go through the images, but below is a quick sampling of photographs taken during the trip.

Booth opens at Antiques, Crafts and Things

Tony — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 21:46:39 GMT

By Tony Campbell
Eagle Eye Imaging

The Eagle Eye Imaging booth at Antiques, Crafts and Things in Terre Haute, IN is open for business just in time for the holidays. Products currently available include framed and matted photos from Eagle Eye Imaging and All Things Wild and an assortment of widlife and kitten refrigerator magnets.

In the next few days we will be adding other items including individual 8X10 prints, kitten posters, holiday and birthday cards and copies of Paw Prints, a book featuring kitten portrait images.

Antiques, Crafts and Things is located just south of Honey Creek Mall and next to Toys 'R Us. Its hours are 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday Through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Kitten makes the front page of Cleveland Plain Dealer

Tony — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:35:13 GMT

By Tony Campbell
Eagle Eye Imaging

One of our photos - a black kitten hissing - was used on the front page of the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2007.

The photo was used with the paper's coverage of the American League Championship Series, and it accompanied a story and column asking the question if the Indians' playoff run is jinxed. Apparently it was, since the Red Sox ended up winning Game 7 last night to complete the comeback.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer serves Cleveland and the surrounding area, and has a daily circulation of 778,000.

A copy of the front page is shown below.

New Halloween Images

Tony — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 09:34:23 GMT

By Tony Campbell
Eagle Eye Imaging

A new batch of Halloween images will soon be making their way into our online stock photo galleries.

The photos will include some stand alone pumpkin images as well as some that feature guest appearances by a few of Valerie and Everett Lau's cats.

The photos aren't very scary, but trying to keep up with a bunch of cats as they jump off of the studio background can be pretty frightening. We were able to get some decent Halloween photos, though, and even managed to get a few Christmas scenes and general cat shots before things got too out of control.

Bear (the black cat pictured below) was called on to model for most of the Halloween photos.

Rocky Mountain National Park - Day 5

Tony — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 13:16:37 GMT

By Tony Campbell
Eagle Eye Imaging

Before starting the 17-hour drive home Friday morning, we made a final pass through Rocky Mountain National Park. The morning proved to be one of the more productive times of the trip.

We started the morning with a nice sunrise, and some elk managed to stand on top of a small hill allowing us to get some silhouette images. Then, we discovered a coyote searching for food in an open meadow. We were able to get a few photos of him before he retreated.

And then, as we were leaving the park, we stumbled upon a group of about 20 bighorn sheep as they made their way down a hillside.

Hopefully you will be able to view these images through the e-mail alerts or at the website. I have been experiencing trouble with the blog, and have been in contact with technical support to attempt to get the problem resolved.

This is the final group of images from the Rocky Mountain National Park trip. Now we have the job of going through the nearly 4,000 images. Many of the images will soon be available for purchase online at our various stock photo accounts, and we are currently preparing merchandise for the launch of retail space in Terre Haute, In. More information on the products and retail space will be available soon.

As for upcoming travels, a tentative trip to Smoky Mountain National Park is planned for early November as well as a winter trip in December.

Rocky Mountain National Park - Day 4

Tony — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 12:15:42 GMT

By Tony Campbell

Eagle Eye Imaging

The fourth day of our trip netted our best elk photos of the trip. We finally were lucky enough to get close to a large bull that was busy fending off younger bulls. We stayed with the large group of elk for several hours before they finally moved off into the mountains.

After that, we traveled up Trail Ridge Road - which had just reopened that morning - and spent some time walking some of the trails. Even though we have been to the park five times, this was the first time the Alpine Visitors Center was open. It was the last day of the season for the visitors center, though, so they were busy packing up before closing the building until June. There was already a couple of feet of snow at the higher elevations.

In the evening, we walked along a stream and tried to get some time exposures with the fall colors.

Rocky Mountain National Park - Day 3

Tony — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:16:16 GMT

By Tony Campbell
Eagle Eye Imaging

On the third day of our trip, we focused on some panoramic images, as well as getting photos of some birds and small animals.

The weather was good overall, and the birds - especially the stellar jays - were very cooperative. We spent about two hours - and took 200 photos - of a group of jays in an aspen tree. We also spent some time taking photos of a golden mantled ground squirrels. A couple of the pictures are below, including a closeup of an angry squirrel that was disappointed that we were not going to provide a handout.

We are currently in the middle of our fourth day of the trip, and we finally have had some luck with the elk. At two locations this morning, we were able to capture photos and high definition video of bull elk and their harems. We haven't had a chance to review the video yet, but Jennifer had an up-close experience with a bull that was busy fending off some younger, smaller bulls.

We also were able to travel Trail Ridge Road today and took plenty of photos and video of the scenery.

We are a little backlogged with downloading images, so it may be a few days before photos from Day 4 and Day 5 are available.

This evening we are preparing to take some waterfall photos and some photos of historic buildings in the park before moving into the valley to look for elk.

By the way, if you are having trouble viewing the images in the e-mail blog report, visit our website at www.eagleeyeimgaing.net and click on "blog" to see the photos.

Rocky Mountain National Park - Day 2

Tony — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:27:30 GMT

By Tony Campbell
Eagle Eye Imaging

Day two of our trip to Rocky Mountain National Park got off to a cold, snowy and windy start. Even though the weather was rough, we traveled to Bear Lake and hiked a trail to try and get some icicle photos.

In the afternoon, the weather cleared. We spent the afternoon and early evening taking scenery images until the elk started to emerge from the cover of the mountains and into the meadows. We were able to get a few nice elk photos, but still aren't completely satisfied.

The higher elevation roads remain closed because of snow and ice, so hopefully they will be cleared soon.

Tomorrow we will spend the day trying to get photographs of some birds and smaller animals.

Rocky Mountain National Park - Day 1

Tony — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:37:05 GMT

By Tony Campbell
Eagle Eye Imaging

The first day of our trip to Rocky Mountain National Park went well, as we were able to get some new elk and mule deer photos, as well as some nice scenery photos. We were pleased to discover that the fall colors are at their peak right now, so we have been spending much of our time taking scenery photos.

So far the weather has been good, with the exception of exceptionally high winds. There has been some rainshowers and snow, but overall the sky has been bright and blue.

In all, we took about 720 photos the first day. We are hoping that our opportunities for elk photos improve as the trip continues. Below are a few of the shots taken during the first day.

Eagle Eye Imaging exceeds 20K sale mark

Tony — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 11:19:56 GMT

By Tony Campbell
Eagle Eye Imaging

Earlier this week, Eagle Eye Imaging passed the 20,000 stock image sale mark. The image was purchased from Shutterstock, one of our more active microstock accounts. the photo - which features a kitten cleaning its back paw - is shown below.

In other Eagle Eye Imaging news, we are planning to travel to Rocky Mountain National Park in early October to photograph the American elk rut. I will be posting regular blog entries during the trip, and we are hoping to greatly increase our elk catalog.

Dragonfly Not Just Another Pretty Face

Tony — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 19:05:25 GMT

By Tony Campbell
Eagle Eye Imaging

Even though our pond is patroled by hundreds of hungry dragonflies, I have never had the opportunity to get a good macro shot of one of these predators.

That changed on Sunday evening, though, when a beaten and worn dragonfly stopped for a rest on a bird feeder pole just off of our deck. The dragonfly looked like it had been through the washing machine. It's color was faded and its wings were damaged and bent, but it was cooperative. I could even reach down and touch it without the insect flying off.

While this dragonfly wouldn't work for full body shots, I did take advantage of the opportunity to get out my 105mm macro lens and an extension tube to get some extreme closeups. I took about 100 frames from approximately two inches away before the dragonfly finally flew off. They aren't pretty pictures, but they give you an idea of the color and detail of a dragonfly's face.

Here are a few examples of the images:

Photographing a Cooper's Hawk in Comfort

Tony — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 19:58:04 GMT

By Tony Campbell
Eagle Eye Imaging

It's rare that wildlife photography is so easy.

Tonight Jennifer spotted a Cooper's hawk dropping from a tree and hitting some sort of prey on the ground. I'm not sure exactly what the hawk had snagged, but it was obviously a successful hunt. The hawk stayed on the ground for several minutes devouring its prey.

After it finished its meal, to my surprise the hawk flew to a branch near our bedroom window. I ran and grabbed my 600mm lens while Jennifer carefully opened the window and raised the screen. I was able to take about 20 photos from our bedroom window. It was a lot easier taking photos from the comfort of air conditioning than it would be sitting in a bird blind in 90 degree heat.

Anyway, here is one of the images I was able to get of the hawk. More of the images will soon be up on the All Things Wild website.

What about Bob? Rooster Doesn't Live up to Reputation

Tony — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 19:56:05 GMT

By Tony Campbell
Eagle Eye Imaging

On Sunday we traveled to the Lau farm to try and get some new photographs of their kittens playing in the grass. The Lau kittens are the ones who have been featured the last month in our stock photo galleries.

Unfortunately it was very hot and muggy, and the kittens seemed rather content to stay in the shade and rest rather than venture out into the sun. The trip wasn’t wasted, though, as we turned our attention to getting some new chicken photos.

After the electric fence was turned off, I was able to get into the coop with the egg laying chickens to get some ground level shots.

I was also able to get some new photos of Bob the Rooster.

I have photographed Bob on several occasions, and he never fails to provide me with some good opportunities. Apparently Bob can be aggressive and rules the coop with an iron … talon?!?

So far he has tolerated me, though. Maybe the ice was broken on our first meeting when I attempted to get him to crow by doing my best rooster imitation. Every time I would crow, though, Bob would run for cover. Since then we seem to have come to an understanding – he lets me photograph him and I stay out of his way.

In all, I took about 400 photographs while we were at the farm. The images will soon be posted on our Eagle Eye Imaging gallery page and our stock galleries. I will post the links when the photos are available. Chicken and eggs from the Lau farm along with a variety of produce may be purchased by contacting L and A Family Farms.

Helpful Hint: Chickens and Kittens Don't Mix

Tony — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 19:42:02 GMT

By Tony Campbell
Eagle Eye Imaging

Combining an odd assortment of subjects can lead to some interesting and unique images, as well as create some unfortunate situations. At the time, it seemed like a good idea to place some baby chicks into a scene with a kitten on a recent shoot.

Cute kittens combined with cute baby chicks must lead to cute photos, right?

The kitten was a willing participant. He was a little started at first when we placed him on the studio table, and he winced a little during the first few times the strobe was fired. But after that he settled down and even laid down for a nap.

The fun began when we placed three baby chicks into the scene. The chicks were quite a bit more active than the kitten, so we had to have chick catchers to keep the birds from walking off the edge of the table. Soon the chicks quit trying to flee and focused in on the curious kitten. The kitten was very tolerant of the noisy chicks, and at first he seemed content to let them be.

After a few minutes, though, the action began to get heated. The kitten was trying to sniff the chicks, and the chicks were busy pecking at the kitten and climbing on its back for a better view. The shoot remained friendly for several minutes, allowing me to fire off several frames of the kitten and chicks together.

It all soured quickly, though. One of the baby chicks made the unfortunate move of getting too close to the kitty’s mouth. The kitten gave the chick a quick nibble to the head, and it was all over. The chick – unscathed but a little shocked by what had occurred – was plucked off the table and returned to the other chickens.

In the end, the chicks were returned safely to their pen, and the kitten went back to play with the other cats in the yard, and we came away with some cute and funny photos.

To see some of the images, view our gallery. Images may be purchased from this area. Many of these images are also available in our various stock photo galleries.

In case you're wondering, I did manage to capture the bite with the camera. Here it is: