Flight Techniques

Either I need to visit specsavers or maybe I've gone "Arty" yes I did manage to capture some even as I say it myself fairly good flight shots whilst in Bosque del Apache in NM. The light at sunrise and sunset was superb. So many birds an the migration route south provided ample flight shot practice.

Sandhill Cranes which I have tried to photograph previously were a target species having made plenty of earlier errors I knew where and how I'd failed before.

I'd like to post this effort and seek your reaction from a Critique,Advice and Comments aspect any and all most welcome whichever way you see it. The largest size is a cracker as I see it. I have been wrong more often than anything.

I have tried this effect and never made it. I must admit I'm pleased with this one.

Canon 1D3 Canon 800mm HH ISO1600 f/8.0 1/20sec

Thanks for looking.

This is by far your best image to date IMO Barry, I really like the muted tones throughout the shot and your choice of shutter speed is bang on. It may be "Arty" but I think it's a very good image.

Andy...

"Arty" indeed, but it works very well for me. I like the composition and the the muted colours are really very nice. Well done.

Got to agree with Andy here.. you have nailed this one and it certainly is your best to date... you have achieved the effect you set out to get.... the comp is great too and all the complimentary colours make for an image that is pleasing to view.

I agree with previous comments Barry. A difficult shot to get right but this works very nicely for me. The colours, background and general composition all come together very well.

Matt

Beautiful image love the colours and patterns stunner

All those birds over lapping each other shouldn't work at all, but they do brilliantly. I like everything in there; comp, colours, just the right amount of blur. Very impressive.
eric

Barry, it's all been said already. All I can add is that I wish I had this image in my folders. Andrew

Yes, this works very well. I like it!

Thank you for taking the time to view and comment. It is appreciated I feel lady luck was with me on this one and the wing positions and timing helped a great deal. It felt good at the time and I had a bit of a buzz too, hence I now have fifty odd shots as the colours changed in this blur mode. They also improve imho printed at a larger size and I don't understand why at the moment, maybe perspective issues.

Hi Barry.
Crikey Had to rub my eyes at first !!! but really like what you have here.
everthing works in harmony. Well done.

The Sandhill Cranes make an interesting subject in their own right. They are large birds and stand around five feet in height. Wingspans up to eight feet. They also pair for life but stay within a family group. At the peak of migration in Bosque they can have over 400,000 Sandhill Cranes. The group ariel flights are a sight to behold and the noise is something else.

On our way home we visited Quivira nature reserve and I managed to photograph two Whooping Cranes feeding and in flight. These were two of just fourhundred now in existance in 2001 there were only forty Whooping Cranes in the world.

Your original post works extremely well Barry. Those arty type of shots are really difficult to do well but you have certainly succeeded with this one.

Absolutely loving the first image, this takes nature photography into art and is all the better for it, bet it would look superb as a pano shot.

The primaries look like simple brush strokes, very nicely done.