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Kodiak Landfill
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Kodiak Landfill

by Jim DeWitt

Gallery: Man & FaunaPosted September 18, 2008479 views5 comments
Olympus E-1, 50-200mm w/ 1.4TC at 200mm
f5, 1/200, ISO800, handheld

My first post in this forum in a very long while. It's not a very good photo; the E-1 was noisy and tended to blow whites at higher ISOs; it's limitations are on full display here. But my view of man and the environment - much more cynical than the lovely shots posted here - is pretty well summed up with two Bald Eagles squabbling over bales of trash, all in the most scenic landfill in North America.

20% crop, adjusted shadows and highlights, smart sharpen, applied Noise Ninja.

Comments

5 comments
Comment posted by Steve Foss on September 18, 2008 at 9:31 AM
Deficiencies noted, I very much like the simple impact of this image. When people see bald eagles, they think of wild and unrestrained beauty, and that mood is brutalized in this setting. The trees in the background add to the contrast in mood between the trash bales and the setting.

I would be interested in a wider view, as well, to see if the impact might be more powerful.

Jim, when I saw the image title I thought it would be Hank posting this. :cool:
Registered on June 7, 2006, 90 Posts, 525 Comments
Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on September 18, 2008 at 12:22 PM
My apologies to Hank; this was certainly on his turf.
Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments
Comment posted by Hank Pennington on September 19, 2008 at 10:21 PM
Wonderful Jim! (Holler next time you're in town.)

That's a really timely and accurate post. Kodiak first built an electric fence around the landfill to keep out the bears. Now, even with a bailer, they're running out of space. And thankfully, there's now official enthusiasm for recycling and large scale composting.

Speaking as a local I don't really react to the eagles (bald buzzards in local parlance) so much as the trash. I bet 98% of what you show could be recycled.

This is a very effective shot from the local perspective, and I suspect will meet your aims well with others who view it.

Anyone else struck by the contrast?
Registered on November 1, 2003, 226 Posts, 1532 Comments
Comment posted by Hank Pennington on September 19, 2008 at 10:22 PM
Ha! Multiple simultaneous posts.

No apolologies, rather many thanks Jim.

Here's another "fun" eagle fact. Their official scientific classification is clepto-parasite.
Registered on November 1, 2003, 226 Posts, 1532 Comments
Comment posted by Avi Hirschfield on October 14, 2008 at 3:54 PM
:frown: Sad state of affairs when Eagles become vulters
Registered on November 1, 2003, 518 Posts, 2114 Comments