Snow Goose Mass

Gallery: AvianPosted February 28, 2014150 views9 comments

This is from a couple of weeks ago at Sacramento NWR. Taken just after sundown. For all of you who have experienced this evening exodus of snow geese, you know how thrilling the sight and sound is. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Thousands of them got up at the same time. An amazing experience.

D300, 300f4, 1.4tc, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 500.

Comments and criticism are very much appreciated.

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Mike Ramy on February 28, 2014 at 10:48 AM

Jim,
Outstanding . . .
I have never been a fan of bird flock images as normally they are way too sloppy in appearance but you have changed my mind with this composition.
The number of geese you managed to get in focus is amazing. The DOF of the geese really gives a sense of the vast number of birds. The BG light and colors with the FG grass adds so much to give this picture a 'Two Thumbs Up' from me.
Well Done . . .

Registered on June 16, 2012, 567 Posts, 2809 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on February 28, 2014 at 1:01 PM

I have never experienced this scene but from looking at this image I can image it would be a thrilling experience, way to go.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by David Bogener on February 28, 2014 at 1:38 PM

Jim, I take a lot of snow geese in mass image, but keep few. I like how you captured the geese against the coast range sunset. More DOF would be good. Dave

Registered on October 30, 2013, 417 Posts, 1255 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Cloran on February 28, 2014 at 2:38 PM

Amen and well captured.

Registered on April 6, 2004, 119 Posts, 1989 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hansen on February 28, 2014 at 4:55 PM

Thanks for your comments. David, I don't keep many of these flock shots either, and Mike, I too have never been a big fan of them. However, this one did stand out for me for the same reasons some of you mentioned. I think the DOF isn't too bad, but if I had known they were all going to take off at that time, I would have adjusted the aperture. I had the camera set up for individual flying and landing geese. I was even using the spot meter, so I feel lucky the shot came out as well as it did.

Registered on May 5, 2011, 161 Posts, 908 Comments

Comment posted by David Haynes on February 28, 2014 at 7:55 PM

Jim,
Excellent in every way!!!!! Perfect light, well exposed, lots of birds in focus and I can hear the engines roar as I'm looking at this image. I have never kept any of my flock images but this has no voids to speak of, is very well balanced with the ground included for reference, the coastal mountain range to the rear and the sunset. It ALL came together in this one.

Registered on February 20, 2010, 110 Posts, 1511 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on February 28, 2014 at 8:25 PM

Very nice. The excellent depth of field and the layered BG make this for me.

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on February 28, 2014 at 11:05 PM

Nice blast-off shot with excellent dof, Jim. It is very cool when a whole bunch take off at once.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on March 1, 2014 at 1:55 AM

Fantastic Jim

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments