Follow the Light

Each winter, I take a group of photographers to Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico to photograph migrating birds. Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese are the primary points of interest, but there is more to the Bosque than birds. The refuge, consisting of waterways, fields, and woodlands, is a relatively small, flat area. Each evening, as the sun begins to set behind the Chupdera Mountains that border the refuge, Sandhill Cranes by the hundreds fly into a small pond known as the Crane Pool for safety. Photographing the Sandhill Cranes here at dusk can provide fantastic opportunities for colorful silhouettes of cranes against a sunset sky or dramatic panned images of them in flight. The exhilarating action and colors can attract all your attention, but as in all things at the Bosque, you must pay attention to everything happening. Dusk at the Crane Pool on our first day did not provide the colorful sunset we hoped for, but Mother Nature gave us a brief, fantastic show of light. I could not take my eyes off this scene as it happened, but looking at it now, knowing the personal struggles that some people I love have endured or are enduring, I see it as an inspiring beam of hope. In photography, we follow light. In life, we must do the same.

Photograph What You Feel

Nikon Z6II

Nikon 100-400mm f5.6s Lens

ISO: 200

APT: f8

EXP: 1/200th of a Second on a Gitzo Tripod with RRS BH55 Ballhead

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Let us be aware that many among us struggle at times. Be aware that a phone call, a card with a meaningful message, or a reassuring gesture can mean more than we know to someone in need. Take a moment to be kind, compassionate, and a friend. It could brighten one person's day or even save a life.