DECEMBER 13, 2022 – Alaska: British-born bird photographer living in Alaska, the 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 sea’s surface, 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.
Photographer Alan Murphy
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 said. “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.”
