[ 70mm - f/8 - 1/500 - ISO200 - D3x with 24-70 f/2.8 ]
Last Sunday I did very interesting snow-shoe hike traversing the Gemmipass, which connects Kandersteg (Bernese Oberland) with Leukerbad (Valais). The pass is located at an altitude of about 2200 meters and the hike was 10 kilometers (6.5 miles) long with an ascent of about 550 meters (1800 ft). Photography wise it was a very fruitful hike, as I got away with quite a few nice landscape images … and more …
At the end of the hike I spotted a group of bird photographers, shooting from a ridge towards the valley. Obviously they were all very-well equipped with cool exotic long lenses. My longest lens was my 24-70 f/2.8 … ouch … after doing some landscape shots from the ridge, I decided to join the fun and to put my camera in fast mode. Shortly after, this bearded vulture decided to do a few fly-by’s at close distance. So impressive! I fired away hand-held at the highest speed I had available (about 5 fps) and to my own surprise got away with a decent series of tack sharp images … lucky me!
Bearded vultures are huge. This bird is 94–125 cm (37–49 in) long with a wingspan of 2.31–2.83 m (7.6–9.3 ft). They were once extinct in the Alps but have been re-introduced in the 1970′s. They are still a threatened species within Europe though. Other names for this bird are: bearded vulture-eagle, lammergeier and lammergeyer. You can find more info about this majestic bird at: Wikipedia
I am afraid that this big fellow has triggered an urge to do more big bird photography … it was kind of like trout fishing … and quite exciting!
Click on the image, if you are interested in buying a print or license. For more images like this:
All content © 2013 NiO Photography & Johan Peijnenburg. All rights reserved. Sitemap
We combines vultures and alpine not more together already.
Amazing image and great capture!!! You realize you need to get some longer lenses for that
Thanks Dave for the compliment and yes …. those long lenses are tempting!
Thanks Rainer
@Louis: thank you! Not my “regular” stuff, but had fun!
Realllllly nice work Johan. Great shot. Love the angle and the vulture’s head position.
waaa, amazing, Johan! Love the sky here, blue but ominous nonetheless
Great capture, Johan!
Thanks Layla and Christa
70mm! How fare are you standing? Nice treatment.
thank you. Not that far away actually. I did crop the 24.4 MP image a bit to get more bird in the frame though.
You definitely had great light for this one!! Nice work!
Thank you Jamie!
Gorgeous image, Johan – such incredible detail!
Thanks Randall!!! Glad you like it. I am having 2nd thought about the treatment of the sky. What do you think?
The vignette is subtle, I like it.
Thanks for the feedback on that Randall !!
Awesome, awesome, like I told you at FB, already. Have a great week Johan
Thanks Yasmin!!! Have a great week as well :-
A really awesome shot! What a detailed capture, Johan! I am so happy to see that fellow again… You did a great job ! Thank you!
@Rainer – What do you mean? I don’t get ya…
Wenn man etwas weg von den Alpen wohnt, gibt es keine gedankliche Verbindung zwischen Geier und Alpen mehr. Geier sind dann nur noch Wüstenbewohner , bzw Andenbwohner.
Wow, Du bist schnell. Danke, Rainer !
Jetzt habe ich es auch besser verstanden Rainer
Danke vielmals Wilfried
Wow… I didn’t realize a vulture could look so beautiful!
hey Jeff. Thank you. These look a lot more cute then the vultures on your side of the Atlantic ocean. Thanks for stopping by.
They sure do look cuter, Johan
.
Cool, it is an amazing photo
So lucky we were there though! Right moment/place thing
Denk je Deb!
super cool framing.
Awesome capture Johan !!!
Very pretty capture!
Great capture Johan. Superb bird photography!
Beautiful! (More proof that lack of the perfect equipment just makes it harder, not impossible.)
And I see you’ve taken my advise to do that hike (if you remember it, that is:-)
Andy, Shelly, Neil: thank you for the kind words!
Sumit: thanks for the compliment and the support!
Peter: now that you mention it I remember. Some time ago! It was beautiful up there! Thanks!
Wow Johan, this is not something I was expecting to find on your page… It is GORGEOUS!! Well done. Are we going to have to start toting around your (soon to be purchased) huge birding lenses now?
it was a surprise to me as well
But I really enjoyed shooting the bird. It does gave an adrenaline rush and you instantly have to do everything right! Yes, I would love to have a big lens … I am afraid I am overspending as it is already though 
Excellent capture ! Well done !
wonderful capture Johan!!! This vulture is trying to get out of my screen. I’m afraid I’ll have to chase him around.
…meaning this is a superb and so lively shot!! I love the blue in the sky 
Great capture! Big bird! Great Johan
Jean-Michel and Dawid: thank you both! Glad you like it
Julia Anna: thank you for the positive feedback on the processing! I thought I nailed it, but when I saw that thumbnail appear here, I wasn’t sure anymore …
Awesome light and detail, Johan. The sky is excellent.
What a beautiful bird! I love how the soft blue surrounds him so we see each feather on the wings! This is incredibly wonderful!!
Dane and Margaret: thanks for the compliments! The reflection of the snow underneath lit up the bird very nicely indeed
We haven’t had any snow this year so I didn’t even think that the snow was reflecting the light. I just thought the light was so wonderful. This is such an incredible photograph!!
I was just very very lucky to get this shot. I was at the right spot at the right time and with the right lens. Didn’t expect it at all though, as the bird initially kept circling at a distance.
Maybe that vulture thought you or someone in your group would provide lunch for him!! I so understand “luck” in photography. I have a few awesome images and most I can honestly attribute to “luck”. However, it helps to be prepared too!
don’t know if the word “luck” is the right word. In my experience, just getting out there will automatically give surprises like this. The more we go the more we get … so the luck can certainly be influenced!
Mooi gedaan Johan
Nellie en Jo
Dank jullie wel
Fantastic and so very beautiful.
Thanks for the compliment Lisa and for visting my blog
Johan, you don’t know how much I envy you for this shot! I never spotted one! They are the “star” of the Italian Alps… unless for the “Gran Paradiso” National Park. Really Amazing! Is it big??
I figured you would appreciate this one
Yes, it is huge and it flew by something like 5 meters above my head. I have about 4 or 5 tack sharp shot of him. There is one really close up but in that one the head is straight an the wing tips aren’t lifted, so I preferred to publish this one. First time for me as well. I went looking for them once in the Graubünden, but did not see them . These time I had more luck 
I think I’ll go hiking more often!!
I read an article on a news paper about this bird a couple of weeks ago, and then I really want to have it in my library 
) I’ll let you now as soon as / if I found one 
I really hope you will be as lucky as I was!!! enjoy the hikes!
Thanks Johan! Hope to find this little bird
awesome capture Johan !
Thanks David !
This is really great shot Johan ! What a sharpness,you were really lucky:)
thank you. Lucky man indeed!
Wow – super image Johan !!!!
thanks! Now I really want the same lenses as you have
You’re right Johan!! Being in the moment, prepared, lens cap off! Perhaps we create our own luck far more than we realize! When I first started following this thread, I had no idea how rare this fellow is. Congratulations on your excellent capture!! If the vulture knew how great his photo is, he would likely order prints!!
there aren’t many of them in Europe and some still exist in Asia I think … so really glad I captured it. Now I want an eagle as well!!!
My goal is the great California Condor!! I have captive picture and a fuzzy one flying over the Grand Canyon. There’s only a few dozen of them in the wild, so it will be a tough assignment!! I hope you get that eagle!!
@Diego: a lot of them have been spotted in the Swiss National Parc, which I think crosses over to Italy as well. I shot this one in Leukerbad by the way. I think if you go there you will catch them as well!
wonderful capture Johan
Great capture.
Wow!
Many thanks Jens, Javier and Gemma!!
Fantastic, Johan! What a beautiful sight that must have been.
Love those wing tips Johan and the downward gaze gives him the real vulture look…he’s not just cruising up there
Very nice, I like the off-center framing here!
Never thought I’d say this, but that is one beautiful vulture Johan!
What an amazing photo. It is so crisp.
Beautiful shot Johan! Very good exposure…
Kerry: thanks. It was incredible indeed!
Andy: he was definitely on the hunt! Thanks for the feedback!
Michael and Jan: many thanks!
Jerry: these “old world” vultures actually look a lot like eagles, except for the head. Thank you!
Awesome Johan
nice in many many ways. compliments.
Thanks Gert and Jos !!
Wonderful capture Johan!!!
The light and the colours are so beautiful. Well done Johan !
Great shot Johan. I love bird in flight photo’s
Thanks a bunch for the kind words Meg, Simon and Francis !
WOW! No kidding. Can we trade Johan? hehehehe. This is a gorgeous photo. love the contrast against the blue! : )
Cool ejh Shane
You will have to come to Ch for these I am afraid!
Absolultey fantastic capturing Johan! very beautiful!
Thank your very much Mikko
Amazing sharpness, what a beauty!
Very well done. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Daniel and Rikard !
those feathers are beautiful.. this is a vulture ? beautiful looking one.. the detail here is just awesome.. love the contrast against the sky.. amazing capture..
Yes it is Hope. These vultures aren’t bold which makes a difference doesn’t it
Thank you!
Wow, that light in this shot! Great capture Johan !
The snow acted as a great reflector Emanuele
Thank you!
Often the nature is better than a lot of technology.
totally agree!
Beautifully captured and composed….
Thank you Milena
Great composition with the negative space Johan !
Such excellent framing and the light on the bird is magnificent.
So Very graceful.
mooi zeg
Joel, Sinead, Lisa and Robert: thank you all for the compliments
Hey there Johan…a bit late on the uptake here, but fantastic composition. Love the colour. well done.
hey there Wayne! thanks for the compliment and for stopping by!!
Great framing here…and that sky as a backdrop is beautiful in and of itself. Wonderful image!
Thanks Daniel! You’re back
wow..
Great metallic sky!
Lovely details on the wings, beautiful image!
Thank you Amber and Gaurav!
@Franka: thanks. I hope you also like the big bird
Great shot! Johan Really wonderful!
My great passion, the birds of prey!
Wow Johan, that’s stunning. Perfect composition, what a beautiful clear sky.
@Robert: thank you! Glad to see you drop by again
Hope all is well in Ireland!
@John: thanks! That’s not a bad background for a bird like this ejh
Well captured +Johan Peijnenburg , I like the framing with this empty space
Amazing shot! Really love how you framed this.
Thanks Eric and Candace !
great capture
great gray and blue color combination 
Thank you shirley
Heel mooi Johan
Great shot, very clear and pp focusing on the bird is also nice done
Dank je wel Nikola !!
Uitstekend Johan! Such a majestic bird. Thanks for the infos, and yes you should do more bird shooting
Merci Laurent! I would like to … that lens I would need is a bit expensive though so it’ll have to wait a bit … already have new cams coming …
Wonderful capture, do they live here in Switzerland ? Never have heared of it !!
Thanks Anette. Yes they do, but they are scarse. Most of them are found in the Swiss National Parc in Graubünden. This one was “shot” in Leukerbad. There were two of them cruising around there. Quite impressive!
I can imagine, I am very much interested to find them. Will check it out. Thanks for your info on this Johan
if you check the photo details of this image, you will see the GPS coordinates. There were about 10 wildlife photographers “hunting” for these vultures and alpine eagles on top of one of the cliffs there. I was just lucky getting this shot with my short lens whilst chatting with them
Oh thanks so much, I will check it out on Monday. During the weekend I am gone. This is very helpful, yep I will come with some little cars, as I call the big lenses, as the price is that high, too:) Lots of weight to carry, bugger Johan
I know. I will get myself one as well one day …. and the big tripod, etc, etc
Wow, this is a beauty of a shot! Fabulous capture of the bird, plus I really like the texture in the sky too.
Thanks Chris !
That is a beautiful thing Johan !
Thanks Paul !
Nice capture, love the processing you made here.
Thanks a lot Vitor !
You’re hooked now! with bird photography I mean, as well as the trout fishing you mentioned.
Could well be Anita! Will be renting a long lens this summer to try it a bit more. I am not sure yet if I have the patience to sit and wait. I did like the adrenaline of this shoot though!
Amazing shot!
Stunning image! Love the light on the bird!
thank you Paul and Patricia!!
What an awesome capture and unbelievably sharp Johan. The guys with exotic lenses were probably too close and struggled to focus. Very impressive.
They were struggling Andrew. I was really lucky to be there with the right lens and to have put in the effort some time a go to program a few of the camera memory banks for fast shooting!
wow, awesome capture!!
Excellent! Love the framing, and the blue is perfect!
Thank you E.E. Giorgi and Scott! Thanks for stopping by!
This is a beautiful bird Johan –is the head featherless?
Thanks Gail! This type of vulture isn’t bold. I think I will post a close-up later to show more details!
Wow Johan, this is one fantastic shot
Thank you Louis! And nice to meet you
I have a phobia against birds but this is a cool shot , like the composition !
missed your comment earlier – thank you!
Bellissima!
Grazie Maurizio
Thank you Subra!
Great shot !
Thank you Kos !!
I’m late to this viewing pleasure but nonetheless the treat is still quite refreshing, Johan. Beautiful capture. Birding can definitely grab an exciting hold of you. I’ve felt the bite myself.
This was more or less a lucky shot Tom
I wonder what wil happen if I hire the right lens and go stand there. He might not fly by then … thanks for catching up on my posts!!! Really appreciate all the kind words!
Freedom
NICE PIC
Thank you Hengki and Ashvini !
wonderful shot…….thanks for the share
Thank you Jim. Glad you like my work!
Incredible bird and an excellent shot!
I had the chance to see one in Switzerland too few years ago.
They were living in Romania too, unfortunately they are extincted probably now…
Thank you for the compliment! These birds are indeed incredible. So happy that I got away with a few nice shots!
I read that they were instinct all over Europe at some point. They have been re-introduced in the Alps about 10 years ago, so hopefully one will fly over to Romania
That is an amazing shot! Love the orange head against the blue sky. The sharpness and composition are just amazing.
Thanks again Baldur! Those was one of those “lucky” moments
What a great photographer you are!
Thanks Lili !!! And very lucky sometimes!
Love the mood and space in this one Johan! It seems they look a lot like our version of the Beared Vulture in the Drakensberg mountains, South Africa.
Thanks Morkel! Could be a similar species. I think I read about that when I looked in to vultures a bit more. Up until “shooting” this one I hadn’t really. Always thought they were ugly fellas
Amazing capture, especially with such a short lens! Very nice light and details, too
Beautiful!
@Horia: a very lucky shot with a lens like that
I am not complaining though! Thanks for the compliment!
@Jim: many thanks Jim!
awesome, must be a great feeling to get to shoot such a mighty creature in it’s natural habitat
Many thanks Dominique ! It was for sure and I was so lucky to be able to capture it!
I believe you, but not only lucky, I can’t even manage to get a decent shot of a couple ducks flying over.
I was standing there at the end of a hike with my limited focal length lens in between all the guys with long lenses. I had programmed a few memory bank of my camera to shoot birds only a few days earlier. And the bird decided to do a fly by exactly when I was there …. so definitely some luck involved
OK, either way it’s a marvelous image.
must have been a funny view standing with the shorter one between all those big lenses, now here you have the proof, it’s not size that counts it’s what you do with it
lol Dominique. Very true!
Fantastic! I love the angle and compo!
Many thanks Stavros!
must beauty l like must of eagle and see in fly on fre must special:)
Wow!! Johan
@Sandra : thanks again
@Lili: that’s what I thought as well
Magnificent.
Many thanks Mike. Thanks for stopping by!
Respect!
Thank you Anita
Preciosa imagen y perfecta captura .Mi felicitación .
Gracias Teresa!