Quite a few people in the comments section on the thread with the gull riding on the eagle’s back thought the image was photoshopped. That was my first thought, too, but I don’t think it’s correct. Here’s the image again; it’s quite lovely and almost painterly, like something out of Audobon:

Here’s a piece about the photographer, a Finn named Markus Varesvuo who’s noted for his bird images and has a new book out that features them, Birds: Magic Moments:

The unpredictability is stimulating. You can make the best of plans and get zero pictures or, by sheer luck, stumble into a fantastic opportunity and get super shots. The success rate is improved in direct relation to the level of species knowledge but success is never guaranteed, there’s always a challenge. It’s a hunt. As a wildlife photographer you get to go to amazing places and see the wonders of the natural world…

My main gear is a 500 mm telelens that I got as soon as it came out nine years ago. Camera bodies have changed many times, even during the digital era, but not the 500mm. Weight of the camera bag is a problem. With two digital bodies, 500mm and 300mm and many smaller lenses, my bag’s soon bigger than me. And tripods. I keep leaving them behind. They should be trained to follow the photographer…

Birds have been my thing since early childhood so I know the species and the behaviour of the Western Palearctic birds. So, as a basis, I am a good bird photographer, and my trademark is action shots. I work without flash, in authentic surroundings. I try to tell it as it is without compromising photography.

So there. I don’t think any of his images are photoshopped. But it is interesting that photoshopping is so ubiquitous that we almost automatically assume it now when we see something improbable in a picture.