1 chick hatched, 1 egg remaining with slight pecked hole in side
Mute swans still on nests, no signs of eggs
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I had a great morning with a pair of nesting Sandhill cranes. This nest location is no secret amongst local nature photographers, so they have had quite a few visitors. I welcomed the solitude I had with them this morning. They are quite tolerant of having people around within reason. This image was made with a 500mm lens, with a 1.4 converter, and a 1.5 crop factor of using a digital SLR – so the equivalent of a 1050mm lens. It is also cropped slightly from the bottom to strengthen composition. Very slow movements and keeping a good distance away made them very comfortable in going about their routines, including egg turning, switching nest duties between parents, and of course keeping an eye on a clumsy little one that occasionally fell off the nest. The second egg was nearly ready to hatch as it had a small hole started in it already.
Moments like this with wildlife, particular such beautiful animals such as sandhill cranes, where you are trusted to be in their world for awhile, are extremely rewarding experiences. Of course they can lead to some nice images, but you get to witness a crucial event in their world – one not free from many threats to their survival. As tolerant as they are, visiting them still deserves the utmost respect for the situation. I just hope all photographers that now know about this site are respectful of the opportunity that exists here, are respectful of the tolerance of the parents and the success of the chicks.
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This morning I went to check out some areas in the woods near me that previously had some fox dens. One looked pretty promising, something was actively using the hole, but no signs of any kits around. (Yes, I still have ambitions of photographing fox kits near my home!) I watched the hole for awhile and then decided to check out some other areas nearby. While I didn’t encounter any more leads to dens, I did discover a new area that was rich with wildflowers. The area was filled with squirrel corn, trillium, violets, and trout lilies. I marked it to return to next year as it looked like it might also be rich in blood root and possibly hepatica that are already past.
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Namibia, in Southern Africa, has been on my ‘places to go’ list for quite some time. Fellow photographer, Andy Biggs, who I also understand runs the best trips to Africa, just returned from Namibia. Every image I see from there is simply magical, Andy’s can be seen at;
http://www.andybiggs.com/namibia06/index.html
Some day I will get there! And since it is Arbor Day, I think the facinating landscapes and tree shapes in Namibia are appropriate to mention!
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I believe one of the key growth factors in moving your photography forward is knowing what you like and what you don’t like in an image. This may seem somewhat trivial, because you might say ‘well, of course I know what I like or I don’t!” However, saying you like an image is a lot different than saying WHAT you like about it, or dislike. It is through this isolation and conscious identification of particular characteristics that enables us to be more focused in our own compositions while in the field. It leads to grown in our photography, and growth as individuals.
So what if you are pretty sure about what you like about an image, but aren’t quite sure how to describe it? Something that will expedite the growth of your visual vocabulary is participation in, reading, or listening to constructive critiques. Sometimes what we like about an image is on the tip of our tongue and it may take someone else to point it out.
This is where I find watching critiques like found on the Radiant Vista, reading or participating in photography critique galleries to be incredibly valuable. Particularly with the Radiant Vista, where a very positive and constructive atmosphere is established immediately. Craig Tanner is very specific about the features he likes, and goes on to identify specifically what might be better in a ‘perfect world.’ Not all photography critiques are like this, sometimes ranging from simple ‘adda boys’ to very negative in nature, neither of which end up truly helping anybody grow. So I consider the comments on RV to truly set a benchmark for others to follow.
I also think it doesn’t matter where you think your ‘skill’ level is in relation to the image you are interpreting. I have seen comments from beginning photographers stating they don’t feel qualified to critique images from more advanced photographers. But if one has the vocabulary and insight to describe what it is they like or don’t like about a photograph, that is truly all they need, even if they have never picked up a camera.
Lastly, as an artist, I enjoying hearing specifically what people like about particular images, and also accept what they don’t like. It will be up to me whether or not to incorporate likes or dislikes into my own processes in creating something new.
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