Great start to the new year

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Great start to the new year

January 1, 2013 by Mike Powell

The weather was overcast today, but I decided to take a long walk along the Potomac River. There is a bike/walking path that parallels the river and I set out for Washington D.C. from Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.

I stumbled upon a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) late in the afternoon, in one of the inlets just off the bike path that was raised above the water at that point. I have taken multiple photos of Great Blue Herons in the past, but I think that this image is my best to date. The pose is interesting and there are a lot of details. In addition the reflection is nice and the background is simple.

For me, this is about as close to a “great” shot as I can get at the moment, but this year I am hoping to raise my personal bar even higher.

Great Blue Heron in the Potomac River

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife | Tagged Ardea herodias, blue heron, Great Blue Heron, heron, Potomac River | 15 Comments

15 Responses

on January 1, 2013 at 8:08 pm | Reply Victor Rakmil

Wonderful,especially the reflection!
- on January 1, 2013 at 8:18 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. Every now and then the different elements of a photo seem to work together really well. For me, it’s tough to make that happen with wildlife shot. In this case, I think the reflection is a key element of the success of the image.
on January 1, 2013 at 8:34 pm | Reply lylekrahn

See, I was right about your 2013!!! Great shot. I like it a lot.
- on January 1, 2013 at 8:41 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Lyle. You probably didn’t realize you had such a gift for seeing the future. Now if I could just find some sandhill cranes to photograph. Maybe I need a trip to Canada, when it’s warmer.
  - on January 1, 2013 at 8:49 pm lylekrahn
    
    It was just a matter of look at the trajectory. You mention a trip to Canada and I’m trying to figure out where to go in the US within reasonable driving distance.
on January 1, 2013 at 10:49 pm | Reply uthamz

Wow ! Excellent shot ! Beautiful reflections !
You have a great start in 2013 !

utham
on January 1, 2013 at 11:15 pm | Reply Daffodil's Photo Blog

Great shot of a beautiful bird!
on January 2, 2013 at 6:45 am | Reply caleephotography

Great shot, Mike!! and a Happy new year to you!!!
- on January 2, 2013 at 7:28 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Calee (that is your first name, isn’t it?). Are you back yet from Sweden? Happy New Year to you as well and best wishes for a healthy and happy 2013.
  - on January 2, 2013 at 7:37 am caleephotography
    
    It’s both my first and my last name.. My full name is Camilla Lee, but it was already taken on WordPress so I made it Calee instead. I’m back from Sweden, but tonight I’m flying to Morocco! “See” you soon again!!
on January 2, 2013 at 7:00 am | Reply New Hampshire Gardener

That really is an excellent shot of an old friend of mine. i love herons.
- on January 2, 2013 at 7:30 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Me too! Thanks. The egrets that I used to see seem to have left the area, but the Great Blue Herons are still around.
on January 3, 2013 at 9:02 pm | Reply Marco Pesaresi

Beautiful detail in the feathers, a really nice shot, well done Mike.
on January 4, 2013 at 4:45 am | Reply shirkitvictoria

like the composition on this one. I’m wondering if the photo would be more powerfull in black and white. Would you try that out for me?
- on January 4, 2013 at 6:16 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I don’t have too much experience with black and white, but I’ll try it out for you and post the results (maybe a couple of different versions) this weekend when I have a bit more time to experiment.