http://www.digitalcameraworld.com OCTOBER 2019 DIGITAL CAMERA^63have disturbed the birds, and we had
to remain almost motionless and silent.
I photograph single images – not a
time-lapse – from a fixed camera angle
continuously, throughout the day and
night. I shot 1,377 photos for this
photograph and edited them down
to 200 of the best images, then
seamlessly blended the images
into one photograph, capturing the
changing of time in a single frame.
The beauty of the Platte River and
the Sandhill Cranes captivated me.
I was beyond lucky to have the weather
cooperate. I can still hear the sounds
of the birds as they made their way
to and from the river.
I have spent the last decade shooting
iconic locations, beginning with NYC.
The narrative elements of my work
have evolved from the study of human
interaction to a wildlife narrative in
remote landscapes. My Day to Night
monograph is a culmination of my
10-year photographic evolution, and
bears witness to the dramatic changes
happening within our fragile world.Day to Night,
published by
Tas ch e n , is
out now.
taschen.comhis day-to-night photograph
of the Sandhill Cranes is from
a series on bird migration
commissioned by National
Geographic. In 2017 I travelled
to the Rowe Sanctuary in
Nebraska to photograph the Sandhill
Cranes at the Platte River, a rest-stop
for birds halfway through their
migratory journey. I photographed
from a bird blind in an area I scouted,
and it was built several weeks prior to
the actual shoot. The blind was 25 feet
high, and I remained in the blind with
my assistant for almost 36 hours.
It was extremely cold in the blind,
particularly at night. We had almost no
light in the evening, as any light wouldStephen Wilkes reveals the painstaking
process behind this stunning shot
Shot of
the month
T
Shot of the month
Stephen Wilkes
Fine-art photographer
Camera: Linhof L679
Lens: Wide-angle 4x5 lens
Exposure: Multiple-exposure; see texthttp://www.stephenwilkes.comSandhill Cranes, Rowe Sanctuary, Nebraska. © Stephen Wilkes