Bosque Del Apache Birdscape

[Richard Kowalski]

Spent another wonderful 6 days there last week. This is an image I "grabbed" shortly after our arrival as we drove around the Farm Loop to see the current activity. The composition isn't exactly as i wanted, but the flight of cranes entering caught me a little off guard.

Canon 20D
1/2000th
Sigma 50-500 - 161mm @ f/ 10
ISO 1600
Almost full frame, with slight rotation, color balance & curves in PS

[Alfred Forns]

Not bad at all for a grab image Richard At Bosque the birds are predictable and you can set up for similar images

Would take care to frame Would look for clean edges and avoid cutting elements Your bottom edge is not bad but would like to see more/no tree Would also take a few so I could choose the wing positions and bird placements Merges should be avoided

These are just suggestions that seem to make the images work I am trying more environmental images I find them pleasing and satisfying !!!!

[Richard Kowalski]

Would take care to frame Would look for clean edges and avoid cutting elements Your bottom edge is not bad but would like to see more/no tree Would also take a few so I could choose the wing positions and bird placements Merges should be avoided

Thanks for the input Alfred.

I've re-cropped and removed the offending crane. Let me know if this works better.

Richard

[Alfred Forns]

Big Difference When you return to Bosque do try setting one Pick your spot and wait for the birds most you can leave the tripod with camera set and focused Just trip the shutter when the birds come by !!!

I parked one of the cranes and a couple of the little guys at the bottom for a cleaner edge Use levels/curves and bumped the saturation for the foliage A tad of sharpening

[George DeCamp]

I have to say this does have that Bosque look to it. I also have to say that I am not too crazy about a vertical crop here but that is just my taste.I like the image because it shows the action there and is not just one crane flying in a blue sky which could have been made in your back yard....well if you had cranes in your back yard that is! :)

The idea was good.....but why not a horizontal image just like it? Just a rhetorical question I know you said it was a grab shot. Bosque is a very cool place and this image does show the lay of the land and the diversity.

[Judd Patterson]

Richard, you really have a beautiful scene here! I have to agree that a horizontal composition was probably your strongest option here. Not to take anything away from the many bird flocks in the sky, but with a horizontal you could have had more of the mountains, less monotone sky, and still kept several of the large strings of birds in the lower sky. It looks really good (at this size at least) for an ISO 1600 image...wouldn't recommend that ISO in bright lighting conditions like this. Great grab and hope you get a chance to return!

[Richard Kowalski]

Alfred,
thanks for the input and the additional example.

George & Judd,
the reason for the vertical format was I was framing through one of the newly cut windows in the brush at the east side of the pond. Most of the birds were to the right and more trees obscured the view on the left. Since I had these restrictions in framing, the vertical was a more natural
choice. If there hadn't been so many flocks in the sky, I would have zoomed in and be horizontal. The high ISO can be explained by my usual handholding of my relatively slow lens and forgetting to drop the speed when appropriate, like this image.

Oh and George, when I lived in Florida, I did have Sandhills in my backyard! Of course I didn't make bird photographs back then. Figures right? :)

Richard

[Judd Patterson]

I certainly understand your choice for a vertical here Richard, after your explanation. It's hard to judge conditions when we post a critique, and so sometimes our advice would have been impractical or just plain wrong given the working conditions. Florida Sandhill Cranes are just plain crazy...walking down the side of the road, through yards, etc. :)