There is something about the light in New Mexico that makes for spectacular sunrises and sunsets. On this workshop we took advantage of both times to capture skies filled with thousands of "blasting off" snow geese and dunes filled only with drought tolerant plants.

Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is a haven for Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese as they migrate south during the winter. With drought conditions in the park this year we were pleased to find about 16,000 Sandhill Cranes on the refuge. We woke up early for three mornings to set up in the dark and photograph the birds as they blasted off from the refuge ponds.

For a more artistic approach we practiced using slow shutter speeds to blur the wings on birds and create a sense of motion in our photos....

Settings: Shutter speed 1/30, F 16 and auto ISO

Large murmurations of blackbirds and a pair of mousing coyotes added some drama to our images as we photographed in a newly flooded evening crane pond.

Civil twilight is when White Sands really shines. As the intense sunsets fade, the landscape is surrounded by subtle pinks and blues....

With a speed light in White Sands you can create your own lighting drama. The group used a single light at an angle to light up the scene.