Sandhill CraneI first visited Whitewater Draw, in McNeal AZ, in November 2018 during our Beverly Hillbillies style adventure moving from New Jersey to our new home in Hereford. My sense of awe upon hearing and seeing the thousands of Sandhill Cranes converged at this little oasis in the high desert was complete. Since then I have visited "The Draw" many times, with each visit adding to a chapter to the unfolding story in my imagination of this magical place. And with each visit, I have hoped to capture a quintessential image that captures the beauty and wonder of simultaneously serene and chaotic ebb and flow of life there.

I have concluded that this is not possible. Whitewater Draw is a testament to the symbiotic existence of the individual and the whole. It is a place to gestalt in happiness at the cohesive totality of its parts. And, it is a place to micro-focus on the individuality of the lives that embrace its presence. Each visit is a new experience, and each tour provides a new revelation. It is one of the greatest testaments that I know of to God's will for us to live in a diversified and harmonious existence.

Therefore, for now, I have given up on my quest for a single image that captures what "The Draw" is. I do not believe that would do it justice. I am now embarking on creating a series of images that tell the story of this fantastic island of abundant life in the Southern Arizona high desert. At the heart of the story is the Sandhill Crane. A singularly unique and beautiful bird that winters here in the tens of thousands. It is the Sandhill Crane that lives in the epicenter of "The Draw" and at the heart of the story.

This image of a Sandhills Crane banking in flight, with the water below, the fields and farmlands behind and the mountains in the background is the first of these images. I pray that I do service to God and the glory of His creation as I tell this story. I humbly remain His scribe.
Shoot Date: December 18, 2018
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Manual ¹⁄₁₀₀₀ sec at f/9.0 0 EV
Lens: TAMRON SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD A011 @ 600 mm
ISO: 500

I first visited Whitewater Draw, in McNeal AZ,  in November 2018 during our Beverly Hillbillies style adventure moving from New Jersey to our new home in Hereford. My sense of awe upon hearing and seeing the thousands of Sandhill Cranes converged at this little oasis in the high desert was complete. Since then I have visited "The Draw" many times, with each visit adding to a chapter to the unfolding story in my imagination of this magical place.  And with each visit, I have hoped to capture a quintessential image that captures the beauty and wonder of simultaneously serene and chaotic ebb and flow of life there. 

I have concluded that this is not possible. Whitewater Draw is a testament to the symbiotic existence of the individual and the whole.  It is a place to gestalt in happiness at the cohesive totality of its parts. And, it is a place to micro-focus on the individuality of the lives that embrace its presence. Each visit is a new experience, and each tour provides a new revelation. It is one of the greatest testaments that I know of to God's will for us to live in a diversified and harmonious existence. 

Therefore, for now, I have given up on my quest for a single image that captures what "The Draw" is. I do not believe that would do it justice. I am now embarking on creating a series of images that tell the story of this fantastic island of abundant life in the Southern Arizona high desert. At the heart of the story is the Sandhill Crane. A singularly unique and beautiful bird that winters here in the tens of thousands. It is the Sandhill Crane that lives in the epicenter of "The Draw" and at the heart of the story.

This image of a Sandhills Crane banking in flight, with the water below, the fields and farmlands behind and the mountains in the background is the first of these images. I pray that I do service to God and the glory of His creation as I tell this story. I humbly remain His scribe. 

Sandhill Crane
©RGallucci Photography
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Shoot Date: December 18, 2018
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Manual ¹⁄1000 sec at f/9.0 0 EV
Lens: TAMRON SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD A011 @ 600 mm
ISO: 500