It's Not Me, It's You (S), 2022

Eric Kanigan  

"Selection matters.

Selection matters even more when you're making a choice for life.

Among bald eagles, till death do us part holds true. Only in the event of a partner's passing—or a rare separation—will they seek out another mate.

As with any relationship, courtship between these animals can take wild twists and turns. Sometimes, quite literally.

Bald eagles perform what's known as a cartwheel flight: the pair ascends into the sky, entangles their talons, and dives toward the earth together. They release their grip at the very last moment—a trust fall with life-or-death stakes.

While many of the birds live independently, breeding season brings the pair back together.

Nest-building is a shared ritual that can span years. Males search for large sticks and branches and return them to the nest, where the female begins construction. As completion nears, both partners assemble the finer materials—a form of bonding as they prepare to bring their eaglet into the world.

There's an element of storytelling in any image—but when photographing wildlife, that impulse feels even stronger. Your mind reaches for meaning, drawing parallels between what you see in a species so different from your own and what you know.

The elements were all there.

The wing position.
The raindrops falling.
The imminent departure.
The expressions on both faces.
The finality.
The kind of clarity that comes with time.

It just needed a personal touch.

Only one title felt right."

"With its dark, speckled feathers, a juvenile bald eagle could easily pass for a hawk or another bird. The talons, beak, and gaze, however, remain unmistakably familiar.

In my short window of time, I found myself waiting in the wind and rain at low tide along the Homer Spit. It became an exercise in patience—hoping for eagles willing to cooperate, if only for a few moments. During most of my early encounters, even the slightest movement would send them off the sand and into the sky. But after a few missed chances, I began to anticipate takeoff more instinctively, adjusting my position accordingly.

This young bird, not yet two years old, was still a ways off from going bald. While the white feathers were notably absent, a juvenile is still something to behold—almost biblical in appearance. A split second is all it takes to capture the power and spirit embedded in its DNA.

At that moment, he was still earning his wings.

Now, he soars somewhere over the Alaskan landscape—wearing that iconic plumage."

All available sizes:
26'' x 39'' - Archival Pigment Print, 7 + 2 AP
40'' x 60''  - Archival Pigment Print, 5 + 1 AP
50'' x 75''-  Archival Pigment Print, 3 + 1 AP