Cranes in the fog

Gallery: AvianPosted March 14, 2010242 views20 comments

We were at the Crane Festival in Monte Vista Colorado this weekend and got a lot of crane photos, but thought this one was unique. There was small irrigation ditch that was steaming and producing fog.

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

D 200
80-400 VR
f 5.6
1/200
ISO 250

Thanks for taking a look.

Comments

20 comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on March 14, 2010 at 11:22 PM

Nice, Mike. I like the concept and the execution.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Olsen on March 14, 2010 at 11:45 PM

Sweet image Mike!

Wish I were there!!

Registered on October 19, 2006, 306 Posts, 1571 Comments

Comment posted by Mack Barham on March 15, 2010 at 12:55 AM

My only suggestion is to stop down the lens to at least 7.1 - (8 is better) next time you are out. This lens is soft wide open, but improves amazingly at f 8-10 if you can hold it still. The VR helps. Forget this lens for action - the AF is way too slow, but for this kind of shot it is excellent. The whole image looks rotated CCW. I would like to see the pond edge flat rather than at a slant. Nits aside, I really like this moody image. Congratulations!

Registered on August 12, 2005, 537 Posts, 1107 Comments

Comment posted by JACK NEAL on March 15, 2010 at 2:40 AM

Great mood shot! Print it and put it on the wall!

Registered on September 26, 2009, 131 Posts, 554 Comments

Comment posted by Lajos Horvath on March 15, 2010 at 4:35 AM

That's it!
(Could be a bit sharper.)
Very nice moment! Congrats!

Registered on January 3, 2010, 30 Posts, 92 Comments

Comment posted by Kenneth Arni on March 15, 2010 at 6:11 AM

I really like this mood shot and agree with Jack about framing it. But, also agree about a little CW rotation. Otherwise, love it

Registered on December 24, 2008, 112 Posts, 629 Comments

Comment posted by Alexander Vasiljev on March 15, 2010 at 11:55 AM

Mike, you caught it with beautiful colors. Very dreamy! Congratulations.

Registered on February 20, 2009, 35 Posts, 64 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on March 15, 2010 at 1:26 PM

Like the mood of this Mike! How were the counts? I am heading down this weekend.

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Bunch on March 15, 2010 at 1:35 PM

Great shot. I love the silhouetted cranes and the mood created by the subtle early (or late) light and the fog. A very nice comp as well. Personally I might crop just a little bit from the bottom but that is not a criticism just a personal pref. Well done.

Registered on May 18, 2004, 124 Posts, 2503 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on March 15, 2010 at 1:38 PM

Beautiful work of art MIke

Makes me homesick!

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Harbour on March 15, 2010 at 2:17 PM

I like the mood with the light and fog, kind of mystical.

Registered on January 4, 2008, 113 Posts, 2416 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on March 15, 2010 at 2:21 PM

Great mood here Mike. I agree CW rotation would help this. I think this would be even a stronger comp if you cropped up from the bottom to say the middle of the clump that is in the middle of the slough. The one with the left leaning long reed. That is just my taste, but the FG elements really don't add much for me.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by István Molnár on March 15, 2010 at 3:12 PM

Good work.
lstván

Registered on January 7, 2010, 114 Posts, 704 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on March 15, 2010 at 3:23 PM

I Love it. A very different shot and the fog is great

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments

Comment posted by Loulou Beavers on March 15, 2010 at 3:51 PM

I really do like the mood.

Registered on June 21, 2008, 73 Posts, 205 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on March 15, 2010 at 6:52 PM

Very nice. I like the light in this and the misty early morning feel to the whole image.
May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on March 16, 2010 at 3:00 AM

I like the mood here.

Registered on February 4, 2007, 350 Posts, 4614 Comments

Comment posted by Sandra Hendrikse on March 16, 2010 at 6:42 AM

Wonderful atmospheric shot.

Registered on January 23, 2008, 48 Posts, 769 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on March 16, 2010 at 8:19 AM

It has a wonderful feel to it. Could work well as a horizontal too.
Jagdeep Rajput

Registered on April 29, 2008, 686 Posts, 2857 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on March 17, 2010 at 8:54 PM

Mike,

I have this lens & camera combo and I used it almost exclusively when I lived in Florida, with the exception of when the lens was off being repaired and the few times I took my 200-400mm VR out to the beach. Though I often hear negative things about the lens being slow I have to say it is not always all about the lens, it is also about the skill of the photographer behind the gear that creates sharp images. I've gotten tack sharp images with the 80-400mm VR at 5.6 and up to f22.

You could not have easily gone to f8, your shutter speed was already very slow so I think you made the right choice as far as aperture. I like the steamy atmosphere, the setting and how the one crane has its head tilted up like it might call any second.

If this were mine I might crop a touch off of the bottom to remove some of the darkness in the corner. Other than that, I love it.

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments