Late this afternoon, I was at a nearby suburban pond and noticed a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) on the opposite bank. He was in a shaded area, where the water was calm and the reflections were beautiful. I was a bit too far away for a close-up shot, but couldn’t get any closer because of the bushes and underbrush that kept me from the water’s edge. Nevertheless, I was able to get some images that I like, including this one. I decided not to crop too closely to the heron in order to retain some of the bushes and their reflections that add a lot to the photo.
Heron in the shade (click for higher resolution)
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
The bushes and reflections add some nice context.
Our ponds and streams are starting to stay frozen around the edges, even during the daytime, so all our herons will be visiting you soon.
I’ll pass on your greetings if I see any of your herons here. It seems like the egrets are gone as well as the green herons, but the Great Blue Herons are still here.
in agreement with your first commenter that the surroundings add to the beauty of the heron.
I think the herons like the notoriety where you’re concerned. I sure enjoy them.
We have those here in Georgia too (as well as the Northern Flickers from your other post). Are you in the south? I have no idea how far out these birds live. 😉 Great photo, btw.
I live in Northern Virginia. I started taking nature photos only six months ago, so I don’t have a feel for what we have and don’t have. Each time I go out with my camera is a mini-adventure, because my eyes are opened to new creatures and new situations each time.
Mike, very nice image. I really enjoy the cool tone this one has and you did a great job of making the heron the obvious subject peering across the image. It’s one of those compositions where centering the horizon line makes sense.
Thanks, Mel. I appreciate the detailed feedback. I am becoming more and more familiar with the general “rules,” but it seems like true mastery of the art of photography requires a feel for knowing when I should break them. For the moment, I am relying on what looks good to me at the time that I shoot or post-process, knowing that I might work with a photo another time and produce a different result.
Good idea, Mike. I’m always going back to prior images to apply some new knowledge or software. It helps me to learn by seeing how I can improve on my previous efforts. Breaking rules is great – learn to “fail” more often.