02.19.23: Heron profile

Sometimes all elements of a photograph — the lighting, the composition, the background, the subject, the pose, the colors — just work.

That’s easier to accomplish in a studio shot where the photographer controls all the elements.

But in the wild, it takes a lot of luck. So this is a lucky shot.

I was hiking through Six Mile Cypress Slough in Fort Myers, Fla., when I saw this Great Blue Heron resting on a floating dock in a lake. The bird was watching the water for a potential meal, so it was slowly turning its head as it surveyed the surroundings.

The low-angled January morning sun was to the right, providing nice lighting. I was located slighting above the heron’s position, so the water reflecting the blue morning sky provided an uncluttered background.

I liked what I saw through the camera’s viewfinder, so I clicked off a number of shots as the bird looked around. I’ve used some photos with the bird’s neck extended as it looked over its shoulder and others as it leaned forward to look down at the water.

This is just a basic heron at rest shot. I like it because the yellow eye stands out against the various shades of blue  — the light blue water, the blue-gray and dark blue feathers — that dominate the photo.