...and There He Sat

Driving to work this morning I spotted a Great Blue Heron squatted by the side of a pond. I had seen one there before, as I usually see them, stalking their prey like death from above. I was late so I hurried by but on my return an hour later it was still there. I was able to park and head in for a discreetly closer look. He turned to stare at me, looked away, looked back, but made no attempt to flee. Looking closer at his throat made me think he was dealing with a bad case of indigestion. I don't know what he ate, but from the size of his engorged esophagus maybe he was going to be there for a while trying to get it down. Maybe in this case his food was fighting back.

 ...and there he sat.

Nikon D4 Sigma 300m f/2.8 @ 300mm f/2.8 ISO 100 1/800 sec

Mirror Mirror

Perceptions of ourselves are complicated. How much of what we see in the mirror does our mind fabricate? What do you see when you look in the mirror? A hero, a secretary, a “good person”, a sinner, a father, a lover, someone tall, or overweight, forgotten, scared, or sexy,....? I think the idea of who we are distracts from our true nature. I doubt the Heron is thinking about how handsome he looks in the picture. Maybe he’s thinking about being very still to lure a meal. Living in the present is difficult for us as human beings. Our reflections can become windows to the past, that weigh us down with regrets, or encourage us with fond memories. Or they can be pathways to the future, imagining how attractive and enticing we will become. Foolish is the man who looks in a mirror expecting to see his true self. Narcissus’s lesson is as true today as it ever was. Turn away from the figment staring back at you, for that is but a murky reflection. We are much more than the conjuring from a piece of glass.

Nikon D4 Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 with 1.4 tele @ 280mm f/5.6 ISO 900 1/1000 sec

Flooding

Yesterday morning it poured here. Not “raining cats and dogs”, more like “Is that a hippo in the lake that yesterday was our front yard"? Driving over Brandywine Creek this morning, grateful that the waters had receded somewhat, I caught sight of a few herons having a ball fishing in the overflow. Evidently, many fish were washed into newly formed pools by the rush of water yesterday, and they were marooned. The use of this word here feels strange to me because I always thought of marooned as being stranded on dry land surrounded by water, and yet for the fish, it is exactly the opposite. Maybe yesterday the fish were thrilled with their new expansive habitat, but now, feel a bit remorseful. I’m sure the herons feel pretty good about it today.

Nikon D800 Sigma 300mm f/2.8 with 1.4 tele and 1.5 crop (i.e. 630mm) f/4 ISO 400 1/3200 sec

The Elusive Great Blue Heron

When I first got into photography, I took pictures of ducks, geese and just about any other indigenous bird I could find that would let me. The heron was included in my quests, except that it was not so cooperative. I have driven by the great blue while it stood ten feet from a major road. It would stand regally, unmoved by the whizzing cars. I have parked, gathered my camera, approached slowly, snapping pictures from too far away as I lessened the distance. NONE of these pictures was good. As soon as I reached an ideal photo spot the great bird would have none of it. It would turn and look at me (once I thought it even stuck its tongue out at me) and fly away.

Funny story: I had a great opportunity one morning on a slow country road driving by a pond. A blue heron was fishing right next to a driveway. I figured I wouldn't even have to get out of the car, just roll down the window, stop the car and fire away. My plan worked perfectly except when I pressed the shutter button nothing happened... dead battery :( He looked at me, I groped for one of the spare batteries, and he was gone. Frustrating.

Monday evening I was driving through Phoenixville PA when I saw one proudly surveying the roadway from atop the dam of the Pickering Creek Reservoir. I parked and prepped the camera, including checking the battery. Maybe the distance away from the road lowered me to an acceptable threat level for the heron, but he held his ground. The 300mm Sigma f/2.8 lens was perfect for the job.

Nikon D800 Sigma 300mm f/2.8 @ 300mm f/4.5 ISO 400 1/1000 sec