2013 – Looking back, part 5

 

The key for wildlife photography in my opinion is getting close to your subject. This is quite often easier said than done. If you followed my attempts over the years to get close to some Sandhill Cranes you know what I’m talking about. Yep, I got them, but almost every picture was cropped because these very shy birds like to keep a distance between themselves and the avid photographer. The breakthrough came in 2013, when I used a kayak and a lot of time to approach the cranes in the backwaters of the Mississippi River, not far from home. The cranes that stay here during the summer come back to their resting places for the night usually after sunset. Well, that fits my working schedule pretty good but shooting a 500mm lens from a kayak in low light bares a challenge that isn't that easy to overcome.

The images of wild Sandhill Cranes were an accomplishment that I’m very happy about because they were made from a close distance. I love those birds and you can bet that adrenaline rushed through my veins any time I was able to press the shutter release… (see my posts about the Sandhill Cranes in 2013 by clicking HERE and HERE).

Nature clicks #184 - Sandhill Crane

 

If you follow my blog since a while you probably know that I had to go back to the Mississippi River after I found the place where the Sandhill Cranes are roosting. I had to wait four days because the job that helps to pay the bills sent me to Nebraska last week. It wasn't before Friday night that I was able to put the kayak back in the water again.

It was another wonderful summer night and almost a Dèjá vu when a swoop of cranes landed at the same spot at Mud Lake, in the backwaters of the Mississippi River. This time there were only three birds but it didn't matter to me. I approached them with utmost caution and very slowly and finally the cranes let me close in. I really enjoyed every moment of this encounter.

The cranes were busy cleaning their feathers and still raking for a snack in the shallow water. These images made me push my limits and I'm a little proud to present them. It is the first time that I was able to get so close to a Sandhill Crane that I didn't have to crop the photos more than marginally.

Tonight I went again to the Mud Lake area but ended up with something totally different. I didn't even had to put the kayak into the river... but this is for another post. :-) Thank you for stopping in my blog and thank you to all of you who email me, write a comment here, or encourage me in any other way to do this!!!

River stories, part 3

 

After the adventure with the Bald Eagle (see my post from yesterday) I paddled down the Mississippi River for about an hour. I have never seen the big river so quiet and peaceful as last Monday night. There was almost no wind and only a couple boats passed by in the far distance. The river is here about 2.5 km (~1.5 miles) wide and it almost felt like being on a lake. At my turning point the low sun came out from behind a band of clouds and threw some golden light onto the big patches of water lilies. A levee separates the main channel of the Mississippi from the actual Mud Lake area and it is easy to paddle back to the boat ramp upstream on the other side because there isn't much current.

Thousands of Red-winged Blackbirds had already settled for the night and were sitting on the water lilies. There were lots of young birds and I could tell that the Black Birds had a very successful breeding season. You can see the red wing band on this male juvenile blackbird already and it was very impressive to paddle right along these big flocks of birds. They  will migrate down south soon and their arrival here in early spring next year will be again the ultimate sign that the winter will be over soon. If you think this was all for the day you are wrong. ;-) The best encounter came a few minutes later. But this will be in part 4 of my little "River Stories", so please stay tuned....

River stories, part 1

 

We spent last weekend at Rock Creek Marina & Campground near Clinton, IA. This is a county park along the Mississippi River about 70 miles south of Dubuque, Iowa. Great weather made for some wonderful paddle tours in the backwaters and on the Mississippi River. The quality of the light? Well, it wasn't so good during the day, mostly very harsh. Sunday morning I got up early and enjoyed the solitude on the water, and of course, the softer light that you can usually find only in the morning or around sunset on a hot summer day in August.

Shooting with the long lens from the kayak adds a "fourth dimension", means additional danger for the equipment and the challenge of a moving boat while working with my subject. The Painted Turtles that came out off the water and enjoyed the sun by sitting on a piece of driftwood were probably the easiest critters to make a picture of because they hardly moved. Quite often they just dropped into the water as soon I approached them, but sometimes there is one that isn't so nervous and let me come close. There are several benefits by taking the risk and shooting from the kayak. One of them is the low perspective that is hard to get from higher grounds and that may lead to new views and interesting shooting angles. I will talk about some other benefits in another little "river story", so please stay tuned...