Ken Papaleo: X Marks the Shot: sandhill cranes

Showing posts with label sandhill cranes. Show all posts

Colorado - Papaleo New Post- Kearney Nebraska Cranes.

"X Shot" information.

Camera - Canon 5D Mark II

ISO -6400

Shutter Speed - 1/13 sec.

F/stop - 14

Lens - 300/2.8

Tripod and 1.4 converter used.

I had covered the cranes in Monte Vista Colorado for many years so this year something new was needed. The cranes in Nebraska always interested me, so Dennis and I headed there. Dennis is the NREAL photographer and also worked with me at the former Rocky Mountain News. We found way more birds but they were over a very large area. Morning and evenings were fruitful, with nice light and sky. Shooting during the day was harder. With so many huge corn fields for the cranes to choice from, first you had to find them, and most of the time the where located in the middle of a square mile field. Even with our 500 mm lens and converters, we couldn't get many situations for up close shots. So when you found one, we shot, using my car as a blind.

Ken Papaleo

Colorado Photographer

kenpapaleo@highcountrycoloring.com

303-674-0615

Colorado - Monte Vista Crane Festival.

"X Shot" information.

Camera - Canon EOS-1D Mark II

ISO - 400

Shutter Speed - 1/2000 sec.

F/stop - 5.6

Lens - 500 mm

I decided not to go down and photograph the cranes in Monte Vista this year. After going for almost 15 years, I feel there are less birds. I know the refuge is having water problems and they can't grow on all their fields. So I collected my favorite images from the past.

Ken Papaleo

Colorado Photographer

kenpapaleo@highcountrycoloring.com

303-674-0615

Colorado - Sandhill Cranes in Monte Vista on their way to Idaho.

"X Shot" information.

Camera - Canon EOS 5D Mark II

ISO - 2000

Shutter - 1/2000 sec.

F/stop - 11

Lens - 500 mm

Went down to Monte Vista last week to photograph the sandhill cranes. They stop there on their way to Idaho. A lot of the fields that use to have winter wheat on them were bone dry. This made it a little more difficult. My main goal was the get some birds in a image with the full moon. After a couple of days of overcast and real strong winds, which kept the cranes grounded, the weather cleared. As the moon was setting in the morning, I used my 500 mm lens to stack the birds up with it. I used a high ISO to be able to shoot at a high shutter speed and with a large f/stop, to get birds and moon both in focus.

More Photos From The Shoot.