Cindy Marple
January 2025 - Sandhill
Original
About the Image(s)
About: I also went to New Mexico in early December, missed Bruce by a few days I think, but we went to the same places. This Sandhill Crane was also photographed at the refuge in Bernardo. With so many birds, there are plenty of opportunities; the challenge can be to isolate one among the thousands! This bird is setting up for landing, with the “landing gear” down and wings open gliding in. I’ll echo Bruce’s comments about the sheer spectacle of being there. (My Group 67 image this month reflects some of that. ) Nikon Z8, 600mm, 1/1600 f/9 ISO640. Post: Cropped and rotated the image, brightened slightly with the white point of the levels tool.
6 comments posted
Cindy you are one of the lucky ones to have witnessed the spectacle at Bosque. I had an injury to my foot during our visit so had a difficult time standing for hours. One of the things I try to get there is to have the whole underside of the wings with no shadows. If you have one, I might like to see it a bit earlier to provide a different view of the head and eyes. As is is still a nice image. Bruce Posted: 01/03/2025 15:58:29
Thanks Bruce, bummer that you had the foot problem on your trip. I don't have another shot I kept from this sequence, and this was my favorite with the open wings- most of them have more shadow. Lots with the wings up pose! Posted: 01/08/2025 01:03:25
Cindy, I really like this one, the head and eyes are very visible and sharp making a connection with the viewer. I hope you do not think I am being to critical, only saying what I look for when at Bosque. By the way, I got a cortisone shot in my foot and it seems to be healed. Getting old really sucks.
Posted: 01/08/2025 03:54:16
Posted: 01/08/2025 03:54:16
Cindy, nice bird in flight capture, as we all know not an easy task. I like a little shadow in shots like this for it gives a "real" visual feel to it for my eyes do not have "shadow reduction" option. ;) This reminds me of my "first" successful bird (Bald Eagle) in flight with blue sky background. It has a shadow of the Eagle's head in the wing which I really like and feel fortunate to capture many years ago. Posted: 01/08/2025 13:54:47
Great shot of the bird -- color balance, exposure, sharpness -- it's all there. The angle of your capture means that the shadow under the left wing gives the body a real modeled, 3d appearance. I like the look of the tip feathers (in particular the left wing) which lend an elegant look. Maybe you could experiment with a sky replacement to add some more drama. Otherwise, hardly anything to criticize here -- great job! Posted: 01/15/2025 17:59:06
Cindy - you have fabulous detail in your Sandhill, lovely to spend time admiring the textures and colours. I like your swap round and crop. Posted: 01/16/2025 18:22:37