Taking advantage of some beautiful evening light, I photographed some closeups of this preening Sandhill Crane at a local wildlife refuge in Delta, British Columbia. The plumage and eye colour of this bird has always mesmerized me! By moving my position to align this preening Sandhill Crane with a background that was in the shade, I was able to get a virtual black background effect in the image. The sun lighting the frame slightly from the side also helped to cast shadows within the bird’s plumage, creating greater depth to the image than what could be achieved with direct front light. The Sandhill Crane represents a conservation success story; they have experienced large declines due to habitat loss and hunting in the past, but have recovered in many areas and are currently believed to be the most abundant crane species on Earth.