This image has a simplicity that I like – just a bird in flight against a gray, monochromatic background.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
I was photographing shorebirds in a pond about six weeks ago at Bear River MBR when this Great Blue Heron flew by unexpectedly so all I had time to do was raise my lens and fire. I was able to get eleven images of the bird that I liked well enough to keep and this is one of my favorites. There were dark clouds (and possibly smoke) in the background but I had good light on the heron and I like that contrast.
I don’t post Great Blue Heron images as often as I should. They’re common, they’re large slow-moving fliers so they’re relatively easy to photograph in flight and they’re one of the most commonly photographed birds so I may have unconsciously discriminated against them in the past.
Today’s post is an effort to partially make amends.
Ron
Monochromatic magic.
I’m glad you like it, EC. Thanks.
Terrific overall focus at f/6.3. One of my favorite targets because they’re so common around here and I’m jealous of their fishing ability. And of course the large and slow-moving thing certainly helps in my case! (Hey, wait a minute, I resemble that remark…..)
Another vote for liking that background, too.
“Terrific overall focus at f/6.3”
I noticed that too, Wally. In fact I was a little surprised that the entire bird is as sharp as it is – probable because of the wing position. I’d they’d been horizontal I don’t think they’d have been as sharp. Thank you.
I especially like the way the bird’s head is highlighted in this shot. It’s a good thing I’m not a Great Blue Heron – if I had to fly with my feet like that they’d cramp up in a heartbeat.
I see what you mean about the cramping, Susan. You should see the gyrations I go through when I get a cramp in my foot or leg in the pickup when I’m out shooting…
I get most of my cramps when I’m trying to sleep and the gyrations don’t help. I have to get out of bed. If you can get them gone without having to leave your pickup truck, that’s amazing. And I envy you that ability…
Cramps wake me shrieking more often than I care to think about. I too have to get up and walk around to deal with them.
I am so sorry you have to deal with that, too, EC. I got an email from some friends yesterday that said drinking a glass of water before bed helps to prevent cramps. So I did that last night. And got cramps…
Helpful people have given me a LOT of advice. None of which has so far worked. Tonic water, camphor, soap under the sheet, exercise before bed, don’t exercise before bed, more salt, less salt. Sigh.
Ellie Baby, Rocky, Ron…so sorry to learn nice people like you get those danged cramps, too…nothing works for me either…except getting out of bed and walking…a friend ‘s mother used to claim that standing and walking on a cold tile floor was the answer…probably because her floor was tiled. I think it’s the standing and the walking, not the floor…although it’s easier to walk on the floor than the ceiling….
Patty, I’ll bet if we could walk on the ceiling, we wouldn’t have problems with things like cramps… I’m sorry that you have to deal with them, too. But if we have to be part of that group, we couldn’t have more pleasant company.
“Soap under the sheet”??? I think I’d almost rather have cramps…
These big guys can look really strange on an extremely hot day when they allow their wings to droop down and slighly spread out to cool off a little…nothing looks right or even possible about them….
They certainly can be bizarre looking in certain situations Patty.
I am glad they do exist. Being “common and slow-moving fliers” make them the perfect target to practice bird photography.
I never get tired of them as well as ducks and pigeons. All very good for that purpose.
By the way for a shot like this how many focus points did you use?
Thank you for giving me the opportunity for a little more photo geekiness…
“the perfect target to practice bird photography”
Agreed, Jorge – and the more practice we get the better.
I used 5 active focus points in the center for this shot, which is what I most often use for birds in flight.
Glad you decided “to make amends” as this is one of my favorite birds to see and paint…I particularly like to see them fishing, with their amazing patience and focus, their quick stab and unerring aim, but also like their big bird wing flap when flying. I always find something prehistoric about them, particularly how they sound. Some of my favorite birds are “6Common”…like Chickadees, White-throated sparrows, Crows, Ravens, Magpies, Egrets, and owls…may they forever be “common”…
I agree with everything you said, Patty – particularly the “prehistoric” comment.
I also agree with everything you said, Patty!! Love your use of words to express yourself. When I moved to Fllorida I was blown away by the blue herons, the pelicans and great white egrets. Even though they are so abundant in South Florida, I never get tired of watching them. Just amazed by their beauty. This was a lovely capture, Ron!! So glad you shared it with us!! It makes me chukle about my photo I tried to get of the blue heron with the snake wrapped around it’s neck and beak which ended up being totally out of focus. I didn’t delete it though – don’t know if I’ll ever catch that scene again!!
“I didn’t delete it though”
I’ve kept some shots like that too, Jo Ann, just to remind myself not to screw it up next time.
Fantastic flight shot Ron, I like the monochromatic color as well!
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte.
Beautiful, Ron! 🙂 I love the Great Blue’s tho I haven’t had good luck in catching them – unprepared:). The detail is great. We get them occasionally here in late summer when the fishing gets tough.
“unprepared”
I was unprepared for this one too, Judy, thus my unnecessarily high shutter speed and ISO. Things still worked out though. Thank you.
She’s lovely, Ron. One of my favorite birds. 😀
Thank you, Arwen.