Asa Mendigorin, Lucky 8 (ANIMALS 2024)

One of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had was traveling to Hokkaido Japan with my wife last year and photographing the vulnerable Red-crowned Crane (Tancho). We visited the Otawa Bridge in Tsurui and we’re incredibly lucky to have the entire bridge to ourselves. Like every photographer, I hoped for amazing lighting conditions but unfortunately the conditions weren’t great. There was heavy cloud cover with very little available light and the Tancho were located very far in the distance. We waited and watched for hours, then suddenly a group of Tancho took flight towards our location from the Setsuri River. We could hear their loud distinct calls grow louder and louder as they flew towards us. Our wait was worth it and I was positioned perfectly in order to capture this image of eight Tancho in flight with perfect wing separation in their natural environment. I felt incredibly privileged and lucky to be able to photograph this unforgettable experience.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.