Just got back from Bosque and on my first morning we had "fire in the mist" conditions in the North RR pond. That morning I went to Spur Road since there were no winds. As soon as the blastoff happened, I packed it up and started for the crane pools and thats when I saw the mist in the RR pond. At first I was worried I missed optimum light but about 5 minutes after I set up, the sun peeked over the mountains and this was the result. The great light lasted for only another 5 minutes. I do wish the subjects were a bit more active but my composition choices were limited (as I was not willing to cross the RR tracks).
Technical: 1D4, 800 f/5.6, f/11, 1/400s, ISO 100.
Post: Cropping, local contrast enhancement and some sharpening. Some color tweaking in LAB.
Bummer that the second crane did not raise its head. I like the variety of tones in the image, and of course, the fire in the mist. It sounds as if the Bosque Site Guide was quite useful.
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I guess I'll have to keep going back until I can get an image with both the right light conditions and the right subject activity.
I highly recommend Artie's Bosque Site Guide. IMO, its essential to having a productive trip (even more so after he updates it with observations from that particular year).
I totally love the colours and lighting that make up this image. As Arthur and Brendan say, if only that second bird was playing along!!
Love how the mist in the top half of the photo has turned out. Full of definition!
I'd also like it if the birds were thicker up front making a darker foreground without those few bright patches right at the bottom of the frame.
Beautiful colours and depth. It could be an illusion, but does the image need a bit of CW rotation (1 degree or so)? The swimming birds are seemingly on a slight slope...
Fire in the mist
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