NATURESCAPES.NET 2004 BIRDS GALLERY
IMAGE OF THE YEAR

Momma and Newborn Cranes on Nest
Image copyright Jim Neiger

Jim is a relative newcomer to the world of photography. Although he has been awed by nature and wildlife since he was a child, his photography had been limited to point and shoot cameras. In the spring of 2003, Jim began photographing the native wildlife around his home in central Florida with his first SLR camera, the Canon EOS 10D. Later that year, Jim joined NatureScapes.Net, and the enthusiasm, encouragement and instruction that he found there helped to fuel his growing interest in learning this art form. He relentlessly put into practice everything that he learned from his participation in NatureScapes.Net and further developed his photography skills. Jim felt rather restrained with the use of a tripod, however, and soon developed his own method of hand-held photography which he applies to taking images of birds in flight.

This picture of a Sandhill Crane with chick is one in a series of photographs taken by Jim in the spring of 2003. He found a nesting pair of cranes on a small island on a lake near his home and traveled by boat to photograph them every day for thirty days. His patience paid off as he was able to witness the birth of this chick and capture intriguing and delightful moments in the life of this Sandhill Crane family.

To see more of Jim's work, please visit his website at www.photosbynature.com.

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