View allAll Photos Tagged BosquedelApacheNWR
Another Sandhill crane silhouette. Evening is the best time to try for this type of image, and it is always better if there are some clouds to help light up the sky. The cranes come in to roost over a substantial period of time and mostly in small groups numbering in single digits, hopefully giving opportunities for some of them to bank into just the right light for the image you are attempting.
Bosque del Apache NWR, New Mexico
Two Sandhill Cranes in a race to become airborne - Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico.
The eagles at the dam today were buffeted by high winds, leaving them less than anxious to dive for fish. After all, no eagle wants to take a swim in cold flowing water if it can be avoided. So I thought I'd post a photo from last weekend, when the conditions were a bit better and these beautiful birds did their best to put on a show.
There is no doubt that photography is all about light and how it interacts with a subject in a delicate dance to produce something esthetically engaging. Light, color, and gesture, have been touted as the three quintessential elements of a good photo by great photographers like Jay Maisel. These three components coalesce into a digital soup from which the boundaries of one may well supersede the limits of another. As photographers we value light, but should never underestimate the power of shadow. Yes, shadow can obscure, but it can also provide definition, strengthen emotion, and elucidate power in an image. The shadow of this eagle's talon is the supplemental spice that makes this image ever so slightly more delicious. It is the shadow that knows the true power, helping to define this magnificent raptor by means of the photographer's lens. #iLoveNature #iLoveWildlife #WildlifePhotography in #Maryland #Conowingo #BaldEagles #DrDADBooks #OneNation #WildlifeConservation
Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) warming themselves in early morning sunlight. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Socorro Co., New Mexico.
We were on our third and last day at Bosque del Apache NWR, arriving before dawn. By 9 am, the sun was high and the lighting harsh.
We decided to loop pass the Old Rookery one more time before our usual break to beat the heat of the day with plans to return in the late afternoon. It was at the rookery that we met Brian and his wife, Tiffany.
Both were shooting with 500mm lenses, Tiffany freehand, using their car as a blind, while Brian shot from a gimboled tripod.
Brian is originally from Quebec, but had moved to The States as his American wife, a physicist, was working here.
We ended up spending nearly two hours in their convivial company photographing herons, cormorants and a group of peccaries who ambled across the road. Wayne, one of the refuge's volunteers drove by, stopped and we chatted, he filling us in on the history of the refuge.
After exchanging email addresses with Brian, we promised to stay in touch. We told them about the Sacramento NWR Complex and are looking forward to going there together when they visit California. It was then that I asked if Brian would take part in my Strangers/Human Family project to which he readily agreed. We both agreed it was unfortunate that there was no shade to retreat to for the photograph, but made due with a difficult situation.
See my growing, Human Family/100 Strangers album
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page.
To view more street portraits and stories from The Human Family, visit The Human Family Flickr Group.
This was my dream opportunity to capture a Northern Harrier as he sailed by me at deck height.
Digiscoped using manual focus.
The lead Javelina quickly reversed course and ran back into the shrubs when another vehicle came down the road in spite of my efforts to get it to stop.
Wondering if it should again try to cross the road. It didn't and elected to head back into the trees.
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) female. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Socorro Co., New Mexico.
Sandhill cranes fly into the crane pools at Bosque del Apache NWR. They will spend the night wading in water that helps protect them from potential predators. Sandhills mate for life. Doesn't sound like wasted love to me! They choose a mate based on elaborate dancing displays and mating calls. Their songs echo over miles, and are incomparable!
Speaking about incomparable, have you heard #TheVoice contestant #MattMcAndrew ? His latest single on the last night of The Voice topped the iTunes charts at #1 in under one hour!! He's a New Jersey native, currently from #Philadelphia . Vote for him on The Voice, download his current songs including, "Wasted Love" on iTunes this morning, and call 855 864-2303 toll free to place a vote for him! You can place up to 10 votes by calling 10 times. #Music #MattMcAndrew #ILoveNature #ILoveWildlife #Wildlifephotography in #America #Nature in the #USA #SandhillCranes #Canon #Bringit #DrDADBooks #Photography #Picoftheday #Photooftheday
File#: 1832756
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Bosque Del Apache NWR is an amazing place to do in-flight bird photography. The best time of the year is in the late fall when the birds are most dense. The shooting experience has changed a lot over the years. In some ways, it's not nearly as good as it used to be. At least, not as good as memory serves. Last year, the refuge loop changed for the first time in 20 years so a whole new area was open to the public. It included its most northern section. While last year this little change wasn't so profound for improving the shooting experience. This year, totally different experience. A whole new crane pond.
One of the sure things at Bosque is shooting the Sandhill Cranes on the cranes ponds at sunrise and sunset. Except for a couple of years in the early 2000's, this was always the thing to do. While the crane ponds were always a great place to shoot, after being there about a hundred times, all shots begin to look the same. This year, with the new open section, things were different. There was a "new" crane pond.
I looped the road like I normally do, this time chasing friends in a photography group. The stopped in the very northwestern portion of the new loop on a pond with several cranes arriving about an hour prior to sunset. After shooting these birds for a while, it began to dawn on us these birds were going to spend the night in this pond. Something totally different than the normal crane ponds located just at the refuge's northern exit.
What was most different about this location was the road wasn't nearly as high. In other words, photographers could shoot almost as water level to the birds. Also, the background was completely different than the traditional crane ponds. Both of these elements made profound differences with shooting cranes.
I shot this image the next morning, just after sunrise. Everything was perfect. The birds were very cooperative, and there were lots of them making lots of shooting opportunities. The light was outstanding. All these characteristics added up to an excellent morning shoot.
Cheers
Tom
Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis). Early morning take-off. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Socorro Co., New Mexico.
Norther Harrier (Circus cyaneus) female. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Socorro Co., New Mexico.
Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis). Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refige. Socorro Co., New Mexico.
My photos aren't looking as sharp in large view on Flickr as they do on my laptop, so I resized this to 2048 wide which is their largest size, but it's still not helping. Does anyone have any tips/ideas?
jan 12 20-n-162 Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) at flight deck, Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge - San Antonio NM
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Bosque del Apache NWR, New Mexico. 1/21/2014.
A Sandhill crane taking off from the night's roost in early morning light amidst the surrounding Snow (and Ross') geese. The crane is heading out to the fields to feed. The Snow geese count was over 50 K and the crane count was over 9 K during my visit to the refuge. Truly a remarkable place to do photography or just witness the spectacle of nature during the winter months.
Bosque Del Apache NWR wide landscape in New Mexico, USA. As you can see, the terrain is beautiful, and there is life everywhere.
[Edited (9/15/2014 at 5:18 pm ET) : I replaced the original with a re-edited version of the same photo. I cropped it to 16x9 (original was 11x14), making it more panoramic; plus I adjusted the black level a bit, and played around with the color balance by selectively warming the foreground. I thought it made an improved presentation compared with the original, and the edited version was more true to what I saw when I was there.
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My website: denniszaebst.photography.com
Sandhill cranes fly across the horizon of an autumn like field, on the eve of the first snowstorm to hit southern New Mexico this season . Clouds are building on the horizon, a prelude of what is to come. Blustery winds have changed some of the flight patterns and resting places throughout the day. Many birds seek shelter in fields and ponds better protected from cold winds, rather than brave the weather. Just as we prepare for the anticipated storm, the birds, in their own way, do the same.
VIEW LARGE!!!! --- This bird was flying into the setting sun and was really bathed in 'orange-tinted' light.
To me it came out a little distracting, so I toned it down a little. Still, in all, a lovely close up of this truly amazing bird.
It would not be unfair to say that there were 200 + photographers stationed along the lakeshore with me shooting photos of these birds coming in to roost for the night.
Quite a sight to see. I recommend it for everyone to experience at least once in their lifetime. A definite 'bucket list' item!!!!!
Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis). Early morning fly-out. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Socorro Co., New Mexico.
Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis). Flying in for a landing on a cold winter morning. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Socorro Co., New Mexico.
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