Tom and I celebrate great images from workshop participants by selecting a Photo of the Month. For December we chose an image taken on our Bosque and White Sands Workshop. The image was taken by Tim Crull during a stunning sunset at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge. Tim is a wildlife and landscape photographer from Indiana and he loves grizzly bears!
Congratulations to December 2023 ‘s featured photographer – Tim Crull
The Story…
When we arrived at the Roosting Pond, there were only a few ducks there. We could hear cranes from a distance and we started to see them flying towards us.
We needed the right sky color. Then we needed the cranes to fly right in front of it.
I began tracking multiple groups of cranes. Sometimes the cranes were not close enough. Othertimes they overlapped and did not look as good. I just kept trying until I got what I wanted. Just keep shooting.
Everything has to come together to get the right shot. I waited until I got an odd number of cranes with just the right separation between them.
EXIF Data:
Camera: Canon EOS R5
Lens: 600 mm
Aperture: f4
Shutter: 1/1000 sec
ISO: 500
Mode: Manual, auto ISO
About Photographing in White Sands
I had never been there before. I’ve been to other sand dunes like in Death Valley. The white sand makes it really amazing.
I went two days before the workshop but could not get in early. Going with a workshop means you can get in before sunrise. This makes all the difference in the world.
It’s all about the light there. The sand reflects the different colors in the sky like no where else.
Tim’s Tips for Photographing at Bosque
Tip 1
You need the right weather. Keep going back until you get it. A sunset with red or orange is what you want.
Tip 2
Shoot a lot. You won’t know the position of the birds and groupings until later.
Tip 3
Practice tracking birds with your camera and lens before you go.
Tip 4
The first day the 600mm felt like it was too much. But that was really all I used for the rest of the trip. The 100-500mm Canon lens was what I used in White Sands, in addition to the 24-105mm
Tip 5
Experiment. Try some slow shutter speeds. I shot the Snow Geese at 1/30th of a second and that was new for me.
On Tim’s Horizon:
Bears in Katmai National Park in Alaska
Iceland
Chilkat, Alaska for Bald Eagles
Denali National Park
Northern Lights
Tom and Cree just returned from a family vacation in the jungles and beaches of Mexico. Great to relax and enjoy sunsets with Spotted Eagle Rays swimming by us.
We are finishing up a very successful 2023 year. Thank you to all of you who joined us on trips this year. We hope to see you again in 2024: 2024 Schedule and 2025
Enjoy your holidays with friends and family!
Tom and Cree
Congrats!