As much as I hate getting up at o’dark early to catch the sunrise I have to say I have never regretted it. My strategy this week of going to the Bosque del Apache midweek and early in the season paid off and I was actually able to find tripod space on the Flight Deck. Yes, the birds were a little sparser than in December and January but still plentiful enough for some good shots as well as all the awe inspiring experiences that make the Bosque so special. For once there even seemed to be more birds than photographers. This shot was taken just after the sun peeked over a bank of clouds in the east and yes the light really was that golden. There was just enough fog to make things interesting. I did have to brighten it up some using levels in Photoshop and used the lowest level of detail extractor in Nik. Then to finish I added a light vignette to focus attention on the cranes and their reflections.