An Impression of Flight, Sandhill Cranes, Bosque Del Apache

(Click image to enlarge)

Our last of seven mornings at Bosque Del Apache was a glorious one. The weather was perfect and the cranes were taking a perfect flight path after taking off from their roosting pond. Given the conditions it would be possible to get dozens of tack sharp images, but I wanted something different. Instead I set a very slow shutter speed and panned with the birds as they flew. That morning I captured only one mage I thought was pleasing, but one is enough. When printed on a warm cotton rag paper with a matte finish it looks very much like a charcoal drawing. Unfortunately this effect is impossible to see on a computer monitor, so you'll have to take my word for it.