Grey Crowned Crane

Grey Crowned Crane

In our trip to Kenya last summer, we met those beautiful, impressive birds. Colorful, large, with the distinctive crown, they were mesmerizing to watch. This is a photo of one looking for food in the field. Not a perfect photo by any means, but close enough to get good details and a good view of this magnificent creature.

What do I like about this photo? Good details, and an interesting pose. A shallow depth of field (since I used the most open aperture I had at my disposal), makes the bird stand out even though the background is not very clean.

What would I want to improve? A shallower depth of field would have been nicer, making the bird stand out even more. A bit of the grass is partially obscuring the bird (even though it's not in focus, so not everything is lost), which I would have wished to not be there. A lower point of view might have made for a more dramatic photo, as well, but has to be balanced against the high grass which would have been much more of an issue from a lower angle. Eye contact might also have been a huge upgrade to this photo.