I’m just back from teaching at another successful Festival of the Cranes at Bosque Del Apache NWR. We had one very special morning with fog. That does not happen often at the refuge so it presented an opportunity for some very different images. This is one that I enjoyed with a sole crane flying through the fog. It was a very etherial morning. The processing here is pretty basic with the overall image brighter than what I captured in camera. Interested in your thoughts on the feel of the image.
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
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Olympus EM-1 Mark II
40-150 f/2.8 lens at 150mm
1/1600 @ f/2.8, 150mm
ISO 500
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It’s great to see a different type of crane photo Keith. Thanks for posting! Since you shot at 150 mm you must have been very close. Any advice for me for how to find lift off’s when I go there next week?
Hi @Tony_Siciliano. Yes, this crane was pretty close. They were all very confused that morning and walked north out of the ponds and then flew. I have no idea why.
The pools on Highway 1 were pretty active each morning. Geese tended to fly in a bit before sunrise. Then the birds flew to the north corn fields. Some decent geese activity on the Flight Deck pond early morning as well. I’d probably start at the ponds on Highway 1 before the entrance to the main refuge.
Keith, I really like this image. The fog really makes this shot special. I can imagine that it was quite an experience to have been there with the cranes and have the fog, especially if that is uncommon. I do find a desire to see the eye better, but with the fog, that probably isn’t possible. Just used to having the eye be the most important part of a critter in an image. I can get over it, because I tell you, the position of the crane in flight, the visible brown grasses, and the total fog background just makes this shot sing.
Like this one a lot. Despite the fog, some nice color in the crane. I like the wing position. At first, I didn’t notice the cranes in the background, but the more I look at the image, the more they come into focus.
@Allen_Brooks - Yes. I intentionally did not mention the cranes on the ground to see if folks would see them. I think they add a nice element to the story with the fog even though they are heavily shrouded in the fog. Thanks for your comment and specifically about the other cranes on the ground.
Keith, I love the ethereal feel of the photo, very much like a watercolor. It is very different from the many crane photos posted this time of the year. Love the ghosts in the background, giving your image perspective and context, holding the viewer in the frame for a few more moments…
I love this shot, Keith! The heavy fog provides a strong mood yet there is still lots of detail and color in the crane. The background cranes are a very special bonus and add an environmental aspect to the scene and the mood. An unusual and special shot! Congratulations!
@Gary_Minish - Thanks for your comment. It really was an unusual opportunity as we just don’t get fog very often. In 25 years or so of photography at Bosque, I think could count on one hand how many times I’ve seen fog.
I’ve always been very fond of fog, Keith, so this one really appeals to me. The amount of fog with the dead foliage in the foreground and the faintly discernible cranes in the background is just perfect.
I really like the soft feel of the fog. Having the brush/weeds toned down by the fog but the crane’s wings with nice detail moves my eye right past the foreground easier than if it was just out of focus. At first I thought having the background cranes a little more visible might help but then since they are looking out of the frame leaves me conflicted. At least you didn’t have snow. It looked like 6-8 inches at my son’s house in Socorro last week. I’m headed over on Saturday. It sounds like there may be some possibilities for geese and a sunrise behind them on the main pond for a change. They have been pretty sparse there the last couple of years. untitled%20shoot–2|690x455
