Great Blue Heron thread

[MiniChris]

Where do you live..in general...Our Blues look a little different than these. I was shooting f/14 at 1/1000 on the 50mm from a distance of about 40' +/- 10

[Steve S]

Where do you live..in general...Our Blues look a little different than these. I was shooting f/14 at 1/1000 on the 50mm from a distance of about 40' +/- 10

I live in West Virginia. 40 feet is very close, i'm shooting 40 to 60 yards.

[MiniChris]

The standing bird stayed there until I was within 6 feet before taking to wing.

[jeeperman]

First, let me say....sorry for the messy photos. The area in which these were shot is a nesting site a few blocks from home and it is near impossible to get a clean shot through the thick growth of their favorite trees, which incidentally are 50 to 75 yards on the wrong side of a fence. There are about 60+ birds there. Here are four of the better ones from today.

[tameigh]

Elise,
I bought one of those 1.8f 50 mm primes yesterday ($150 + filter), after Chris got me thinking, and the card I shot yesterday were the sharpest pictures I have ever got with the camera. I did it as an experiment to see if it was the body or the lens or both that were causing my pictures to lack the kind of sharpness I see here regularly. I like it a lot. I think it made me decide on the 60D. I don't need to go crazy on the camera body to get good results.

I see why Chris uses it. Especially if it is possible to get that close. Around here, the Herons are more wary. There is a heron rookery around here, but I will have to wait for the ice to go out to in my boat for some photos.

Paul,
I really like #2. Who says there should be no twigs?

[mythlady]

Tim, I have the 50mm 1.4f for my 40D -- it's my walk-around lens, except if I think I'm going to do flowers, when I take the 100mm. You will absolutely love the 50.

[Steve S]

Paul, i feel your pain with all those limbs in the way. I literally had to climb several trees and remove the brush by hand, so i could shoot from the spot i'm in. Wish i could remove more, but it's just too much work.

[Jim B.]

Hi Steve,

I thought last year's images were outstanding,but these are over the top! Beautiful captures!

[MiniChris]

Tim, I have the 50mm 1.4f for my 40D -- it's my walk-around lens, except if I think I'm going to do flowers, when I take the 100mm. You will absolutely love the 50.

Almost everything I've shot in the last month has been with the 50...there is a lot to be said for a prime piece of glass in terms of focus/sharpness. Now I am looking toward bigger lenses and macros - all primes. Maybe I need a second job.

[tameigh]

Chris,
I am thinking the same thing. I am starting to think that the zoom costs you more in image quality than you gain in convenience. Plus, the amount I have to learn is truly beginning to dawn on me, and a 50 mm prime lens seems like a good place to start. Nex step, get my megapixels above 10, like i am using now... I don't know that megapixels is everything, but it seems like 18 gives you a lot more crop options.

[Steve S]

Hi Steve,

I thought last year's images were outstanding,but these are over the top! Beautiful captures!

Thanks jim, i've learned alot since last year. Still waiting for a couple to fly real close for that full frame image.(no crop)

[Steve S]

A couple flying shots................

[Steve S]

The take off..............................this one landed on the top of the nest tree, before flying down into the nest.

[Dave Humphries]

The bottom one, I was very close, with a point and shoot.

You're so lucky, my experience of "Grey's" in UK are that they will take flight if you get within 15-20m (45-60 feet) of them, even with a river between you and it

I have seen one by river this year and I may actually have seen a pair flying at "cross country" height whilst driving home this evening, but alas, no camera, it was after sunset (so dim) and I was driving on the motorway (freeway) at the time.

Another day perhaps,

[Steve S]

You're so lucky, my experience of "Grey's" in UK are that they will take flight if you get within 15-20m (45-60 feet) of them, even with a river between you and it

I have seen one by river this year and I may actually have seen a pair flying at "cross country" height whilst driving home this evening, but alas, no camera, it was after sunset (so dim) and I was driving on the motorway (freeway) at the time.

Another day perhaps,

Around here, they will take flight at the slightest movement. You are extremely lucky if you can get within 50 yards.

[jamn4ex]

I couldnt get close to em.I will have to do better

[jamn4ex]

These are great subjects... I will do better next time... I hope..

[Steve S]

James , in the creeks and rivers, they will feed in the same areas very often. You might find some places they like to feed and sit and wait for them. You have to get close if you want a good image.

[mythlady]

James, keep at it -- you'll get a good one soon (the ones I'm showing here are a couple out of literally hundreds I've taken -- ). Here are a couple more old ones from me -- I've got to get out to the Elkhorn Slough and find some more --

[djg05478]

Sweet!

I have a rookery (heron nursery) very close to my house and it is one of my favorite kayak destinations. I'm thinking I'm that I'm going to need to invest in a better water-proof camera storage bag than the zip lock bag that held my point and shoot