The International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin is dedicated to the preservation of cranes. It has all the species of cranes, globally, on its property.

It’s a great place to watch and photograph the birds.  It’s also a fantastic place to take the kids for a weekend trip.

The Whooping Crane exhibit is the largest and most popular exhibit. In May, you can watch mating and nesting rituals in a huge penned-in natural marsh area.

It pains me to see these magnificent birds with their wings clipped, but the foundation raises chicks and returns them to the wild to help preserve the species.

Feature Image Details

• Canon EOS 6D (I now use and highly recommend the EOS 5D Mark IV )
• Canon 100-400 MM F 4.5-5.6 L Lens at 142mm
• F7.1 for 1/1000 second at ISO 200

This image is not cropped. As you can see, you do not need a big lens to get a nice closeup image. These birds are huge. They stand five feet tall.

What would I do differently? I would use a higher ISO, say 1000, and shoot at F11. This would give more depth of field and a faster shutter speed as well.

Equipment

Those interested in my equipment and recommendations can find it here: Mish’s Equipment List.

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Mike “Mish” Shedlock