Kyrgyz Republic Eagle hunter, Issyk-Kul Region

Traditional hunting with eagles in Kyrgyzstan is still practiced in the country today. Nomads in particular learn how to handle eagles from an early age. During the summer months along the Issyk-Kul region, it is possible to book the eagles, which do not hunt in summer, with their owners as a “show” and learn some interesting facts.

In addition to portraits, I find “panic shots” very interesting, as it brings a completely different dynamic into the picture. To do this, you should set your shutter to a maximum of 1/30 second, activate a lens-tracking focus and select fast continuous shooting. Once your focus has found the moving object, you move the camera along with the movement of the subject and thus achieve this effect in the image. Try a few times. It won't work at the first attempt.

Park at the marked spot in the canyon. The background is much more interesting for photos with the Eagle Hunters than random along the road. For a tour with this Eagle Hunter, you can request this at Terra Montis Adventures, who can organize an individual show for you in the canyon.