What an awesome trip! For those that have been there, Bosque Del Apache NWR occupies a special location in their hearts because of the incredible opportunity. There's opportunity to get their best in-flight bird photograph. There's opportunity to get your best bird in a landscape image. There's opportunity to get your best bird portrait shot. There's simply an incredible amount of opportunity. Why is that? First, check out a travel article, written about three years ago that describes the locations with basic information. Let me add a new perspective here with this article. One thing I found out about Bosque; there's more than you realize.

This year was unique in that I had a new set of challenges. You may already know I believe photography is mostly a mental exercise. While there are great physical skills to get what you want. To a degree, the real challenge is working your brain. The thing about Bosque is mentally after you've been there long enough, been there enough times--I've been there five of the last six years--the original opportunities begin to evaporate. While the first time attending a location like Bosque everything is new making everywhere you look full of opportunity. After a couple of times visiting the place you become very familiar with all its nuances. Like an old friend it doesn't look so new.

That's not a bad thing, mind you. Old friends are very appealing. They fit you like a good set of form-fit gloves. They're predictable, expected, "plannable". They're "plannable" in the sense when light changes, good things are happening, you can jump into action by rushing to locations you know--having been there and visualized images. Old friends are great about removing chance and taking more advantage of experience and knowledge. This is all awesome stuff.

But, what about when the light doesn't change? What about when the subjects aren't quite where you thought they were? What about if you're not in the mood for visualizing and creating images but are simply waiting to be awed by circumstance? Those are all problems for the experienced visitor to Bosque. They were for me this year.

Such was the case when I first arrived this year. This year, 2005, was a banner photography year. A new job has allowed me to get out and shoot more. I was fresh off a great trip to Jasper NP and Custer SP. My visualizing skills were really going. My luck was holding--great light seemed to follow me where ever I went. My composition skills were getting really good. Here I was at Bosque to take advantage of what seemed like a string of great photography opportunity. But I got frustrated in no time flat.

What happened? Every image looked like the last. Okay, not every image looked exactly like the previous, but it sure seemed like I was shooting dozens and dozens of perfectly composed, tack sharp, airborne images of Sandhill Cranes in great light. Sure, those kinds of image are outstanding. But, when you're making about a couple hundred Mono Lisa's a morning, things begin to get a little dry. Darn, this is beginning to sound like I was in a rut.