Photographing Sandhill Cranes: The Challenges and Rewards - Part 2

 The alarm set for 2:00 AM went off right on que and by 2:30 or so, I was on the road heading up to Seymour, Indiana, about a 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive. Over the past 10 years or so, I had made a good number of trips up there during the winter months and had always found good numbers of Sandhill Cranes in the Ewing area upwards to 30,000 or more of them. I had similar visions as the road miles rolled under my Jeep. What transpired completely caught me off guard.

My intent was to hopefully capture one of those early morning rises of Sandhills coming off their roost. A couple years previous I had stumbled into such a rising and caught it on video which was made rather spur of the moment so suffered somewhat in quality.

I arrived well ahead of first light and got my camera gear ready for the anticipated moment. This location had always produced amazing numbers of Sandhills and was a logical choice to set up. The horizon grew brighter...and brighter...and my anticipation grew accordingly. By the time of full sunup, which was mostly hidden behind early morning clouds, I felt a deep disappointment for there were absolutely no Sandhills to be seen. Zero, zilch, nothing.

I was utterly amazed at the situation. Reports I read and social media reports indicated the Sandhills were there in abundant numbers. But there were none. I waited around for a time hoping a few might meander through, but it was absolutely devoid of these amazing birds. What to do?

Clearly my plans had been weighlaid, and I had no clue as to where I could find some of the birds, having always found them in this one area. There were none even flying off in the distance so I began driving around and saw nothing at first. As I was heading back toward Seymour I noticed a good number of Sandhills flying way off, so I turned down a side road and followed my instincts, turning here and there down this road and then another, getting completely turned around. But, I did find a location where there were several thousand Sandhills feeding in the surrounding corn and soybean fields. A few here, some there, to eventually finding a corner field a good number of them were using. So it was here my shoot finally began.

It was not a good location for shooting as the corner of the field was bracketed by a busy intersection where a lot of traffic crisscrossed. Trucks, cars, SUV's, and other types interfered with my attempts at videoing these amazing birds. 

Eventually, in frustration, I drove a ways down the road to another place where I still had sight of the birds, but the traffic was less congested.

While there two different fellows stopped by for a chat. One of them was a farmer who owned the field spread out in front of us where the Sandhills were now congregating. He indicated that up until the day before there had been huge numbers of them in the area, but many of them had left and speculated they were sensing the coming storm and frigid weather due to arrive in a few days. 

Adapting to the situation is often the plight of the wildlife photographer. On this day, I had made plans based on previous experiences in that area. As it turned out, the Sandhills made other plans. But, I was able to gather some good footage and a few photographs by adjusting to the situation. I spent most of the rest of the day there, but the Sandhills in small groups would get up and fly off and through slow attrition, by close to sundown, there were very few birds left.

 I was hoping for at least a few of them to fly into the setting sun, but they were intent on going someplace else. The ancient migration of Sandhills is a natural phenomena worth following and photographing. As with all wildlife, they have their own agenda and sometimes they do not cooperate.  Learning to adapt to their whims can help you avoid a busted outing. 

They present challenges that often are difficult to overcome, but the rewards for persevering through the difficult attempts far outweigh the challenges. On this trip, I learned a valuable lesson about not counting on wildlife to do what you expect them to do, but to adjust your plans to what they actually will do. Turned out to be a good day and well worth the challenges they presented.

The Natural World: Working on Some Environmental Wildlife Portraits

 I'm making a strong effort for 2023 to do more wildlife photography. Being more of a general nature photographer (among other types) I find myself looking for a way to blend the two forms of photography into a single style. I love seeing the details of a close up wildlife image. They can be truly amazing and the skill required to obtain such photo's takes time and effort to accomplish. However there is something to be said about the environmental wildlife portrait for capturing that kind of image requires a special skill all its own. 

 An environmental wildlife portrait simple means capturing a wild animal within its natural habitat and emphasizing the interactions between that habitat and the animal. Sometimes the wildlife can be relatively close in but most times the most effective way to showcase this type of image is for the wildlife to be at some distance away, yet close enough to be able to identify detail about the animal.

 Composition and light as always are the keys to a successful capture. Keeping close tabs on the weather, wind direction, sunrise or sunset times, all play a part in determining how to go about attempting to capture the combination of environment and wildness.

Witnessing wildlife in a natural setting is what being an amature naturalist photographer is all about. Not only must you be able to effectively use your camera to capture the image, in order to do that, you must have some semblance of knowledge about the wildlife you are attempting to photograph. It's important to understand their natural habits and how to apply that knowledge to your photography. Luck plays a roll, however, being knowledgeable is far more productive and rewarding. 

Patience is a virtue no wildlife photographer can do without. Sometimes wildlife simply do not cooperate. Being patient and perseverate eventually pays dividends in a capture that sets the standards of your photographic attempts. 

Depending on the situation, when I attempt to photograph wildlife I almost always wear darker and/or dull colored clothing and most times I will be dressed in full camouflage. When photographing deer, as with most wildlife, I make a strong effort to conceal myself and blend into the background as much as possible. How I do this is straightforward. In addition to the camo clothing, I will wear a face mask to hide my face which can be a bright spot in the middle of your concealment attempts. Moving your uncovered head back and forth will attract deer's attention pretty quickly. I also will wear dark or camouflaged gloves for the same reason.  

Hand movements can easily give away your position. I have several pair I use, all of them made with the fingertips exposed which makes it easier to work the camera controls. On really cold days, I have a pair of regular gloves with a small slit cut into the thumb and index finger so I can work the camera but also tuck the exposed fingertip back inside to protect it from the cold. With deer, I also use a compact piece of camouflaged burlap. I simply drape it around the front of the camera tripod and extend it to either side sometimes propping the ends up with a couple of small sticks I may find. This provides a easily transportable, quick, and effect blind I sit behind. When the wind is in my favor, and sitting behind this quick setup, I've had deer come within a few yards of me and never know I was there

Photographing wildlife requires you to be able to find wildlife to photograph. Backyard birds are an easy place to begin. They readily come to feeders and usually require only minor concealment to be able to get close to them. Placing feeders near trees or shrubs provide the birds a place to perch before and after they visit the feeder. A more elaborate setup if you have the space for it would be to setup your own perching locations. Vertically planting a couple of larger limbs in the ground for a base, you can attach cross limbs at various heights. 

Drilling a few small holes in the limbs allows for the placement of peanut butter mixed with birdseed. Woodpeckers love this and are fun to photograph. When you build your limb perch, place it some distance from the background. This provides several advantages for the birds and the photographer. Birds like a safe place to perch before feeding and your limb perch is a good attractant for them to perch on with cover nearby. With the background some distance away, this helps to create those blurred, soft background images that are so appealing.

Another good place to start is to simply sit next to a patch of wildflowers and watch closely. Within a few minutes you will begin to notice small insects and other forms of wildlife. These provide some really interesting subjects.

  A good macro lens helps but is not necessary. Just use a small telephoto and zoom in close to them.

Most states offer state parks and/or state owned wildlife management areas for use by the public. These can be great locations to find deer and other wildlife, just make sure you know the regulations for the areas. Other places like wildlife refuges can often be found nearby and they provide access to sometimes thousands of acres of habitat. Do a little research and give them a try and most of all remain patient. Wildlife will often prove frustrating, but that's part of the appeal of attempting to capture their portrait. Just remember, a good wildlife portrait does not always have to be a closeup. 

Environmental wildlife portraits, where the animal is only a small portion of the image, can often be extremely rewarding. They blend landscape, nature, and wildlife all in one photograph. So, being close is not a requirement. These kinds of photographs provide a wealth of scenic value.

Other good places to find wildlife is at local ponds or local lakes. Ponds will require a bit more concealment on your part, but are fun to sit beside and simply watch what happens. 

Dragonflies, birds, squirrels, are just a few of the visitors you may find at ponds. At some of the larger lakes you can also find migrating birds including gulls. They are graceful flyers, fun to watch, and a challenge to photograph.

Environmental wildlife photography is a year round opportunity. The change of seasons offers their unique blend of challenges. I love all four seasons and look forward to what they have to offer. Hope to see you out there.

Photographing Sandhill Cranes: The Challenges and Rewards - Part 1

The first time I ever saw Sandhill Cranes was a good number of years ago, well over 20 close to 25 years anyway, while I and a friend were on a late season goose hunt on Oklahoma's Canton Lake. The goose hunt was pretty much a bust but all through the morning we kept hearing this haunting chattel like call echoing off in the distance. Neither one of us knew what it was so we decided to investigate. Eventually we spied a large circling dome of birds hovering and spinning above a distant shallow arm of the lake. We still were not sure what they were but eventually made our way close enough to where they were setting down to be almost on the very edge of their group. A large span of tall grasses hid our advance as we worked our way closer. It was quite a sight to witness being where we were, all but in the middle of this amazing flight of exotic birds. The odd thing was, we still were not sure what they were.

A little investigation later that evening revealed their identity and I was forever mesmerized by their haunting call and graceful dance across the sky. Fast forward to more recent times. Living now in Kentucky opened up an all new array of photographic and outdoor adventures, and I learned about how a few thousand Sandhills would winter over around the Barren River Lake area. It did not take long to find them and I began to photograph them with a renewed vigor. After a few seasons of this, I learned about a new and exciting and much larger congregation of them near Seymour, Indiana, something like 30 to 40 thousand of them spend the winter there. The chase was on and over the next several seasons I ventured the 3 hour drive up there to capture and gaze in awe of the spectacle of watching all of those Sandhill lift off their roost just before sunrise to head for their feeding grounds.

Photographing Sandhill Cranes provides a range of challenges but also an abundance of rewards. They are quite wary with sharp eyesight. Getting close to them is not an easy task although I have discovered it is easier to do when there are a large number of them setting down in a cornfield. Numbers seem to provide for them a sense of security. Even so, they keep a sharp eye out for any intrusions and you can't just walk up to them and start photographing.

Trying to guess where they will be feeding is a gamble for they might decide one day to use a particular location and the next day go somewhere else. The most success I've had was to simply drive around until I spotted a large formation setting down in a field, then position myself reasonably close and use a long lens to capture them. I've tried to move closer at times only to have them bust skyward. I've even tried to set up a blind. This has worked on occasion, however it is a guessing game as to where they will be and I've lost many an hour waiting on the birds to show up that never do. Using my Jeep as a blind works pretty well, but I don't like doing that. I much prefer to be outside where I can experience the full range of the moment where large flights of the birds fly over and set down in distance fields. Being inside a blind or a vehicle limits the range of the visual experience in many instances blocking your view of the full sky.

I always wear dull colored or camouflaged clothing so as to blend as much as possible into the prevailing background. Just to explain how good their eyesight is, one time I was in full camo, top to bottom including my face, and I was nestled inside some cover that lined a fence row. Sure enough a group of Sandhills came floating in about to set down a few dozen yards in front of me. 

They were descending maybe 75 feet or so off the ground and I moved ever so slightly and pointed my camera toward them. In an instant, they picked up my movement and flared off to find another safer location. Did manage a few photos, but learned very quickly just how wary they are. 

One of the most magnificent days afield photographing Sandhills I decided to stay until after sundown.

 Most of the birds except for a few straggler had moved off through the day leaving the cornfields around me mostly devoid of their activity. I figured they were gone. A few moments before sundown, with a bright and amazing sunset developing, They started flying through in groups of a hundred, then two hundred and more, returning to their roosting area. By chance, I happened to aligned with their direction of travel as they moved into the sunset. What an amazing sight! Thousands of them sailing by, calling to each other as they settled toward the setting sun. 

On another occasion, I arrived just before sunup and caught the full flight of at least 30,000 Sandhills lifting from their roost to head into the fields for the morning. An amazing sight and one I will not long forget.

In the near future, I will again be heading back to Indiana to witness and capture these amazing birds. Plan is to shoot more video than still photo's, then create a Beyond the Campfire Adventure Video program about the experience. Stay tuned for Part 2 of Photographing Sandhill Cranes: The Challenges and Rewards.