Stephanie Corriz

Models, Cranes, and Motion

I decided to do my central theme around the Sandhill cranes. It was my goal to incorporate cranes, models, and movement (preferably the motion of flight). November 17^th and 18^th, was the day I planned to take the photographs. These dates were when the Sandhill Crane Celebration took place in Albuquerque. After seeing the photography of Francesca Woodman and Deborah Turbeville, I wanted to try and incorporate their style into my photos. I attempted to do this my using a muted background and neutral colors, while adding a combination of both stillness and motion. I had the models move on a slow shutter speed to capture the motion of flight and used a tripod to maintain clarity and stillness in the background. As a result, the birds in most of the photos are very still, while the models have taken on the motion or qualities of birds. Some of the photos are taken during the afternoon, others early morning, or at sunrise. This made keeping the lighting consistent very challenging. I had to work around the bird’s roosting times, take off, and when they would fly to their field of preference. This took research and timing. Sandhill cranes are very shy birds and do not trust people, so the photos I initially imagined taking were not a reality. I did get to learn a lot about the birds and experienced a naturalist’s love of nature through the hikes, talks, and viewings. The Sandhill crane is the oldest living bird in the fossil record. Being able to see the cranes through the telescopes was a very special experience. It was my aim to create a better appreciation of nature through the setting, birds, and models. I feel that people are becoming more out of touch with nature and our environment and wanted to create a sense of unity between them in these photos.