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Great Blue Heron Preening

A Great Blue Heron preening itself after fishing in Arcata Marsh's brackish pond during the evening.

A Great Blue Heron preening itself after fishing in Arcata Marsh's brackish pond during the evening.
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NIKON D800

settings

Aperture f/8.0 ISO 1000 Shutter 1/1600 Focal Length 800/1

upload_date

May, 2015

Views

350

Likes

+65

Awards

Winner in Great Blue Herons Photo Challenge

Superb Composition

+11

Peer Award

Top Choice

Absolute Masterpiece

Magnificent Capture

All Star

Superior Skill

Love it

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken at the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. The tidal sluice in the corner of the brackish pond is a popular feeding spot for wading birds as the tide shifts and is frequented by this Great Blue Heron.

Time

This photo was taken during the late afternoon. Usually the last couple hours before sunset have a lot of animal activity and good quality light, so most of my excursions to Arcata Marsh happen toward the end of the day.

Lighting

This was taken in natural light.

Equipment

This was shot on a Nikon D800 with a Sigma 300-800mm lens. I usually carry this combo on a strap when I visit bird-friendly areas.

Inspiration

For my first couple years of visiting Arcata Marsh, there was only one Great Blue Heron there. It hated being around both people and other Great Blue Herons; it would chase off any potential rival of its own species and would take off nearly as soon as anyone had a clear line of sight at it. After that heron left and others started to populate the various ponds and sloughs at Arcata Marsh, I had the chance to get up close to some of these large, spectacular birds like the one above.

Editing

I made basic adjustments to the color balance and contrast curve, then cropped it for composition.

In my camera bag

A Nikon D800, a Sigma 300-800mm lens for wildlife, a Tamron 24-70mm for scenery and a Tokina 90mm f/2.5 macro.

Feedback

Learning the feeding patterns of animals can really help you get a close encounter with them. If you can figure out when and where an animal likes to eat and show up there before it does, sitting still and quietly nearby, it will often approach close enough for superb photos.

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alanpeterson

Great Blue Heron Preening

A Great Blue Heron preening itself after fishing in Arcata Marsh's brackish pond during the evening.

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow alanpeterson

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