Photographer: Russ Rockwood, Mukilteo

Photo taken: Dec. 1, on the Skagit River between Marblemount and Rockport

Photographer's description: “One of the moments when the rain stopped. Taken with a Canon 5D Mark 3, 100-400mm lens."

Expert says: "This is a great moment — right as the bald eagle is fully outstretched and angled toward the camera — and shows the wonderful beauty of this creature. Good job on the use of a telephoto lens to get up close and show detail. Tip: Crop some off the top and the right to follow the rule of thirds. If your subject is in motion, allow for more room on the side the subject is heading toward, so it isn’t ‘running out’ of the frame."

-- Katie Greene, Seattle Times photo staff

Share your recent photo from around the Northwest. Submit online at seattletimes.com/northwestphotos (and see an online gallery of other Readers Lens photos). We judge the best and award a prize every December.