The Realm of Eagles - Autumn Colors

Brutus has run two-day workshops with Ole Martin several times in autumn. Now we're doing three full days on the boat and four overnight stays. In September, the low mist becomes stunning for the images, often called "sea smoke". During the day we might photograph squirrels, tits, finches and nutcrackers in the newly built forest hide, whose pond provides stunning reflections. Some evening we might also look for moose, near Lauvsnes, the village where we stay. But naturally, it's the eagles we come here for.

"FISH IS OUT, EAGLE IS COMING" shouts Ole Martin Dahle from his position at the helm. Ole Martin operates the boat with a practiced hand, he knows where the eagles are, he checks the wind direction and after throwing the fish he positions the boat so that we get the eagle either from the side, diagonally from the front or in the best case almost straight from the front. Everything depends on the circumstances: the direction and strength of the wind and the position of the sun but also on which eagle it is.

In Ole Martin Dahle's eagle realm in Nord-Trøndelag, it's about more than a hundred eagles, if you also count the younger ones. The sea eagles recognize the boat and Ole Martin. It's usually enough that we approach a territory and the eagles "know" that extra fish is now available.

When Brutus first visited Ole Martin in 2003, Ole Martin only had three photographers there for the entire summer. Brutus visited him for a week, and they went out morning and evening. A successful day meant seven dives, which then felt completely fantastic. Between dives, Ole Martin and Brutus caught more "eagle fish" in a Norwegian sea that is still alive, especially compared to what we Swedes are used to.

Today there are even more sea eagle nesting sites, and on a really good day we're talking about ten times as many dives, i.e. sixty to seventy dives!

Over the years, Ole Martin has refined his photography skills and his homemade technique. Regardless of which direction the eagle comes from, Ole Martin always ensures that we "shoot" on the left side of the boat. We never need to hesitate, when the eagle approaches, the boat will be positioned with the port side towards the direction where the eagle will make its dive to take the fish. The photographers can concentrate on getting the shots.

We can have special requests, we want backlighting or front lighting. Often it can be solved for a few dives but wind and sun direction determine what is possible at each occasion (and we only want to take pictures of the dive and eagle catch from behind in exceptional cases).

The sea eagles are the focus, but we also spend time on the approachable and hyperfast coastal seals and during breaks we do "creative" photography with "gulls", gull and tern birds. Great black-backed gulls and herring gulls are most common, but there's usually quite a few both lesser black-backed gulls and kittiwakes.

We run two tours, morning and evening. We have three packed days with opportunities for fantastic images, which we might have only dreamed of before.

We're out for up to four hours at a time, morning and evening. Since the days are long – it doesn't get dark at this time of year – there are many free hours in the middle of the day. Those who want can then photograph from a newly built hide where birds drink and bathe and the water provides a beautiful reflection.

Brutus will give some advice and tips in the evening when we arrive, both regarding focusing and exposure, both a bit extra tricky. Same on the boat. And if you're a beginner, don't worry, you can discard 90-95% of the images and you'll still come home with pictures you might never have thought you'd get.

We stay in Ørnehuset, a modern, airy and cozy house by one of the fjords down on Ole Martin's land. Here we prepare some meals ourselves, arrange "breakfast packages" or visit the village restaurant.

We can't control the weather. If Ole Martin judges the situation at sea as dangerous, we might not be able to go out for one of the sessions. However, this happens quite rarely. And the weather changes quickly here on the coast.

Photograph sea eagles in action in an environment that is absolutely wonderful. When you get out between the islands or into the fjords between the mighty mountains, it's about wilderness, or wilderness sea.

Incredibly many opportunities for action shots you might not even have dreamed of being able to get.

In the breaks between eagle dives we do a lot of creative photography with "gulls", tern and gull birds.

Now it's the photography that's the focus, but it's fundamentally about a nature experience of the highest rank.

Six tours in Ole Martin's specially built aluminum boat for this purpose. We go out in the morning and after dinner. In early September the sun sets a bit earlier than during midsummer, with luck we get sunset pictures. And the sun rises later than during high summer.

Ole Martin Dahle knows most of the different eagle individuals and every corner of the archipelago. And he knows exactly how to position the boat so that we get both the best light and most action opportunities. Each participant can fully concentrate on just getting the shots.

Brutus has been here at least fifty times and helps with settings and tips.