Sandhill Crane in Morning Meadow
There is a park not too far away from me where Sandhill Cranes nest every year and white-tail deer are rarely skittish of people walking by. Both offer great opportunities to photograph wildlife without too much difficulty or hiding in blinds for days. They both are quite habituated to humans being around.
I wanted to try to get some closer than normal shots with my 24 f1.4 lens and using it wide open. It proved to be a bit more difficult than I thought. While these animals are comfortable with people “in the vicinity,” it is another story with some photographer with a wide piece of glass.
I tried a number of different cautious approaches, trying to be respectful of the crane’s personal boundaries. For the crane, I could walk up within about 6 or 7 feet or so, but no closer. While the crane did not show any signs of being stressed, it certainly wasn’t about to play best buddies in our young relationship. I have met other cranes in the park that perhaps would have allowed me closer, but this one remained a bit skeptical of my intentions. I tried sitting and just lying down in one spot for awhile, hoping the crane would come closer to me when she felt like it. Well, she was having nothing of that little game either. Not on the first date Mister! She didn’t move away, but didn’t come any closer either.
I had a feeling the next step in our relationship would have involved a breadcrumb trail of juicy snails leading the way right up to my lens. I actually imagined a shot where I had a snail on the inside of my lens hood, waiting for the moment. Ah well, I wasn’t willing to go that far in our relationship either. 🙂 Instead, I only received a stare down and probably some bird mental notes of just how long I was willing to wait around. What a cheapskate with no snail offerings! So I never did get an opportunity with my 24 mm lens, and instead settled on photographing this beautiful bird from a distance with my 200-400.
The deer behaved quite similarly, less the craving for snails perhaps. There are days you can walk by and seem to be close enough to touch them. But with a camera in your hand and when you are prepared, oh no Mr. Photographer, you are only allowed so close. It was just fine observing them from a distance. They set the distance they were comfortable with me at, and I respected that. That respect earned me more time with them.
Spike buck in meadow
Such is the case with most wildlife. Each individual determines their comfort zone around us. In many ways, I can relate. Even each human being has their own set personal space boundaries, and there always seems to be someone you encounter that wants to violate it. I don’t like having that done to me, so I try to be mindful of that when around animals as well. I have always felt the best approach with wildlife is to put up that welcome sign into your own space and see if you have any takers.
Many animals have formed comfort zones around us humans, but even they have limits, and only allow us so close, snails or not. Probably a smart move.
Beautiful. It reminds me of a watercolor painting.
Thank you Amber!
Thanks Paul. The hard thing about the second date… I don’t know if I would be able to tell one crane from another. 😉
Great post, Mark. You were patient and did your best to entice your date to come a little bit closer. Perhaps on the next date, or the one after that. After she’s gotten to know your intentions a bit better! 🙂
Earl mentioned a memo that doesn’t get out. Sometimes, I wonder if indeed a bulletin does goes out informing all the critters of the distance required for maximum frustration. It is nice to see that you were fully prepared and, in spite of not realizing your “wants”, you got beautiful photos.
I remember a story told me by people living in a tiny town in the Colorado mountains about elk coming into town, crowding the streets, during hunting season. The animals trust their sense of the boundaries marking their safe zone and, unfortunately, too many people lack the same good sense.
Thanks for your comment Anita. Agree wholeheartedly on the boundaries!
Hey, Mark –
Lovely photos, and I like your comments about respecting the animals’ space – although I might not have picked the dating metaphor, myself…
;^D
– Jack
I don’t know why that popped into my head, but it just seem to fit. 🙂
Your images are beautiful and I can’t imagine any other arrangement giving as pleasing results. The distance and lens choices seems intimate to me, but our sandhill cranes make themselves vary scarce during the nesting season here; and the deer are hunted (which should say enough).
Sadly the deer in this park were culled many years ago – a big controversy. It used to be guaranteed you would see them every walk.
Thanks Roberta.
I like the way you framed this horizontally to suggest the setting. I say “suggest” because with the shallow depth of field, the setting is soft, which I feel adds a lot to the mood and feeling of the photo. It is a joy to learn from your mastery not only of photography, but also of how to relate to nature.
Very kind of you to say David, thank you. I wanted the horizontal space to give that sense of place.
Even if these “first dates” were less they you’d hoped for you got some good photos, Mark. That compress background and shallow dof works especially well in the Sandhill Crane photo.
When I plan on taking wildlife photos somehow the subjects of interest never seem to get the memo to cooperate. It also seems the longer the lens I’ve attach to my camera the greater the distance required by the wildlife of me. There’s obviously rules here I’m not entirely aware of. 🙂
Great photos, story and post!
Thanks Earl. I am still trying to find that rule book myself, and maybe next time I should write that memo in advance asking for permission.
I second Tomas. Lovely photos and its nice to hear someone promoting respect (to animals, the environment and to each other), its sadly lacking with many people.
Your post reminded me of our recent trip, our group was very respectful of each other and the other people we encountered but there was another group on a similar itinerary who seemed to have none and were the rudest people I’ve met in a long time. We always recognised them for this one old woman (referred to by one of our group after a few run-ins as the old goblin woman). We went to an abandoned diamond mining village in the desert that is popular with photographers as it has many buildings with sand inside that make interesting photos, for the most part I didn’t see my group because there were so many places to explore. One early morning as the sun was rising I was perched precariously on some narrow steps taking a photo through a window into an abandoned house and the goblin woman trotted up the steps right next to me, so far into my personal space that she was almost touching me, set up her tripod (so close that the legs were interlaced with mine), took a bunch of photos for 5 or 10 mins then left. All without saying a word or giving a smile or even any acknowledgement of my presence on the steps. I was gobsmacked by the episode (but quietly smug that her angle on the room was not as good as mine). Each of us traded stories about this group throughout the holiday and were all equally astounded by their collective rudeness. I thought it was because they didn’t speak English but apparently they did. Perhaps I should have offered her some snails?
Suzy
Ugh! That would drive me crazy as well Suzy. Snails might have worked, but you would have to throw them to get her to chase them instead of bringing her closer. 🙂 Why does it seem there is one of those individuals in almost every group?
Beautiful photos, Mark, with great details and clarity. Respect is something that many people are missing nowadays. Respect for others no matter if animals or men. Good post.
Thank you Tomas, and I agree.
I like the look of the long lens for wildlife because of the shallow depth of field, such as you have here. Both shots are really nice. With the telephoto, you don’t have to worry about skittish animals and they seem more natural.
Thanks Ken. I was hoping to use the shallow DOF of my 24 mm f1.4 to do something similar, but as I wrote, this way was just fine as well.
Comfort zones for sure….but I am also constantly amazed when looking through the lens at how much closer than I thought I would need to be I actually have to get to something in order to make it appear as big as I thought it would be. Hmm…did I say that correctly?? I think you know what I mean. Well, at least the flowers and rocks don’t move away as you approach closer. People and animals do!
I guess it is wise though, since for every one of us kindly photographers there is, very unfortunately, often times folks with less kindly intents.
I know exactly what you mean Howard. I was probably fooling myself in thinking they would ever get close enough to appear large in a w/a frame.