Sandhill Cranes at the Bernardo Wildlife Management Area

[Jim Keener]

The State of New Mexico, coordinating with federal agencies, maintains refuges, mostly between the Rio Grande and I-25. Lots of corn and water. Cranes, Snow geese, raptors, deer. I made this photograph in January 2016.

• Canon EOS-1D X
• EF500mm f/4L IS USM +2x III
• ƒ/8
• 1000mm
• 1/2000s
• ISO 800
• James Keener rs
• Flash not fired
• Fri, 29 January 2016 4:18 AM
• Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6.10.1 (Macintosh)

Canon 1DX, 500mm f/4 IS, 2X TC III for 1000mm
1/2000, f/8, ISO 800

LR adjustments. PS: NR in Nik dFine of BG, Unsharp mask on multiple layers of birds.

Eager to learn. ; = )

 

[Tim Foltz]

Jim, Looks like a great place for photography. The image is sharp and the BG is nice but there are a few things too look out for.
The birds are all going away from you as you can see by the HA and it looks like you were shooting in very harsh light, that dark shadow under the center cranes wing really draws
your eye to it. As you shoot more and more you will often shoot less and less frames because you'll be more aware of light, BG, HA, etc.
Keep up the good work.

-Tim

 

[Jim Keener]

Thanks, Tim. Your comments are very informing. I've stood next to accomplished avian photographers in different locales, and yes. They took about one shot to my ten. Lots to learn, and I'm quite grateful for the help.

 

[Bob Miller]

JIm...Fine work! Flight photography is not easy and I think you have done very well maintaining sharpness and a good clean bg. The shadow is unfortunate ! keep shooting! I would love to see more!

 

[Stuart Philpott]

hi Jim hope you are good. For me you have executed everything beautifully, but I yearn for separation betwixt the birds. I've read through the comments Tim as informative as ever, and I feel that simple facet would have taken this up so far.

lovely colour pallette again jim,you always post images with colours that appeal to me,haven't a clue how you do that:bg3: but you do

All four in frame and detail looks great please forgive me being picky I'd be chuffed to bits(thrilled) with this jim

take care

stu