Sarita Yeola
January 2025 - Sandhill Crane Courtship
About the Image(s)
This photo was taken at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Decatur Alabama on January 4, 2025. The Sandhill Cranes will jump high in the air flapping their wings and making loud calls in a courtship dance. These birds are known to mate for life. I did some minor highlight and shadow adjustment on the original.
Nikon Z8 @ 500mm, 1/2500s, f/5.6, ISO 320
11 comments posted
Great shot Sarita. You captured the action spot on ! Background nicely out of focus with a 5.6 fstop and your camera shutter speed ensured a sharp picture. Well done. Posted: 01/08/2025 22:03:01
Thank you for your comments. Posted: 01/13/2025 22:31:10
(Groups 21 & 48 & 71)
Sarita, you really caught the courtship at the peak of action. Really like the Sandhill at the bottom right looking up watching the action. I might clone out the cutoff Sandhills in the bottom right corner. Very good non distracting but busy background. Really like it. Posted: 01/09/2025 15:12:25
Thank you Tom for your comments. I debated if I should remove the half cut cranes. With nearly 10K sandhill cranes in this area I had several opportunities to capture this behavior but this sequence of pictures had the minimum distractions. It was a good challenge. Posted: 01/13/2025 22:39:06
Tom and Sarita, interesting the effect created by the shadows on the observing's crane with dark and one band of light. For this group cloning out is allowed, but that would not be the case if we were a group of Bird's in a Nature subdivision. Posted: 01/20/2025 13:58:39
Sarita, image at peak of action on a very difficult area and background and were able yo capture it with minimal intrusion of the other cranes. Background very well managed. Posted: 01/11/2025 15:46:16
Thank you Isaac for your comments. Posted: 01/13/2025 22:39:26
Oh I can hear to honking!!!! They are really something to watch! Great capture! Posted: 01/13/2025 15:32:18
Thanks Kathy. Yes the honking filled the air, we could hear it even as we were driving to the refuge. Was a fun experience. Posted: 01/13/2025 22:30:17
Grace Cohen
Wow Sarita - This is a fabulous capture! Nice and sharp beak to tail, wingtip to wingtip. Handheld? This is a great editorial shot that demonstrates the chaos of this crowded scene. Consider cloning out the birds in the lower right to create a whole different shot that highlights the symmetry of these two in their mating dance. Two different images from the same shot. Posted: 01/20/2025 01:58:07
Sarita, the perfect moment in the "mating dance". I tried something to separate out the 2 sandhills and more dramatize the color and detail in their heads. Not sure it's an improvement - maybe just a different rendering. Posted: 01/21/2025 00:38:23