{"id":7225,"date":"2009-06-23T19:51:37","date_gmt":"2009-06-24T03:51:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/moosepeterson.com\/blog\/?p=7225"},"modified":"2009-06-23T19:51:37","modified_gmt":"2009-06-24T03:51:37","slug":"photographing-wading-birds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moosepeterson.com\/blog\/photographing-wading-birds\/","title":{"rendered":"Photographing Wading Birds"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Like most wildlife photographers, \t\tone of my first subjects was a Great Blue Heron. That pathetic \timage of a lone GBH, dead centered, perched on a boat buoy a thousand \tmiles away still resides in my files as a reminder of my beginnings. \tOne of North America\u2019s most common and recognizable birds, the Great \tBlue Heron is also one of the most poorly photographed birds over and \tover again. The very nature of the heron, tall, vertical, living in \ta watery world and in many locations, incredibly shy, all lend themselves \tto poor results. Regrettably the time I have with these beautiful birds \t\tis limited, they just don\u2019t haunt my typical locales. But over \tthe decades, I\u2018ve gotten my feet wet more than once, photographing the \t\tGreat Blue Heron and other members of the wading bird family. \tThe successes I\u2019ve had and my switch to all digital combined with my \tdesire to improve all my conventional files in digital, keep me striving \tto improve my wading bird files. These are some of the lessons I\u2019ve \tlearned in my quest to capture these elegant birds on film that I\u2019d \tlike to share with you!<\/p>\n

Just how do you get close?<\/h2>\n

Biology<\/h3>\n

As with any subject, getting close is the name of the game. There \t\t\t\tare a number of techniques available to solve this problem. Quite \t\t\t\toften, we\u2019ll commonly combine a couple of these techniques to get \t\t\t\tthe shot. Some of the techniques are obvious, others may not be. Common \t\t\t\tsense like most things in photography wins out and captures the best \t\t\t\timage.<\/p>\n

\"GreatYou probably can already think \t\t\tthrough our first option, biology. One reason why I love to photograph \t\t\twading birds in Florida in February is because biology is thick in \t\t\tthe air at that time of year; it\u2019s the birds and the bees time of year. \t\t\tIt seems that the bigger the subject, the larger the libido and the \t\t\tgreater the distraction sex brings. You\u2019ll find this is true for wading \t\t\tbirds. Another great advantage to photographing wading birds this time \t\t\tof year is that they are all in their breeding plumes. Their beautiful \t\t\tbreeding plumes, which was the cause of their near extinction in the \t\t\tearly 1800\u2019s is still a powerful magnet for the wildlife photographer.<\/p>\n

Using breeding biology to get close physically can best be explained \t\t\tby closely looking at the common Great Blue Heron. Anyone who has been \t\t\tto Florida in the late winter months has most assuredly been to the \t\t\tVenice Rookery (a scenic locale behind the local highway patrol office). \t\t\tThis is a hot bed of breeding especially considering the rookery is \t\t\tsmaller than a tennis court. It\u2019s here that you can see all cycles \t\t\tof the nesting biology of the Great Blue Heron in one day! Understanding \t\t\ttheir story pretty well explains what\u2019s up with all wading birds when \t\t\tit comes to the birds and the bees.<\/p>\n

Courtship rituals start and continue on through the nesting process \t\t\tfor GBH. A big part of it has to do with the presentation of a stick\/twig \t\t\tby the male to the female. If you want to mess with the mind of a male \t\t\tGBH, collect a ton of small twigs and make a pile of them. The male \t\t\tGBH\u2019s first thoughts are, \u201cWow, I\u2019ve died and gone to heaven!\u201d Next, \t\t\tit\u2019s \u201cMan, am I going to score!\u201d And lastly, \u201cwhich one to select first?\u201d \t\t\tThe male GBH goes through testing a lot of different twigs before he \t\t\tselects the one he wants to present to his mate. The twigs eventually \t\t\tget used in nest construction so I\u2019m sure the stage the nest is in \t\t\tconstruction determines the twig he selects.<\/p>\n

How does this help your photography and getting close physically? \t\t\tFind the twig source and stake it out! All you really have to do is \t\t\twatch because very quickly you\u2019ll see where the birds are gathering \t\t\ttheir twigs. You set yourself up with the right lighting, background \t\t\tand start shooting. Now you don\u2019t start ten feet away but rather farther \t\t\tthan you want to be for the image size desired. You slowly work your \t\t\tway in as the birds come back to get more twigs. This is just one biological \t\t\ttechnique you can use to get close. (A very important photographic \t\t\ttechnique at Venice Rookery is simply moving. Too many folks set up \t\t\ttheir tripod and never move all morning long. Your tripod has legs, \t\t\tso do you, so use them!)<\/p>\n

\"GreatWhen the GBH takes the twig back \t\t\tto the nest, he presents it to the female. More often than not early \t\t\tin the season, copulation occurs. Here\u2019s another biological event you \t\t\tcan use to get close physically. And don\u2019t forget that anywhere during \t\t\tall of this are other great photographic opportunities you can capture \t\t\ton film, like the male flying back to the nest with the twig. If you \t\t\tkeep your mind open and don\u2019t drink too much coffee early in the morning, \t\t\tyou can score too!<\/p>\n

Another year round biological event you can use to get close physically \t\t\tis when the birds are feeding. Whether feeding alone or in a mass, \t\t\tfood usually keeps wading birds\u2019 attention pretty well focused (get \t\t\tit? focused, photography \u2013 hah, bad pun!). You normally know when wading \t\t\tbirds are foraging because they are frozen in some sort of funny pose, \t\t\tstaring off into the water. This is not a guaranteed way of getting \t\t\tclose physically though compared to sex.<\/p>\n

When using food\/feeding as a distraction to your approach, you need \t\t\tto watch for a couple of things. While it\u2019s not life threatening, you \t\t\twant to avoid causing the subject to miss its opportunity to eat, so \t\t\there\u2019s the game plan I use. I start the approach so that the background \t\t\tI want is the one that is always behind the subject as I move closer. \t\t\tI don\u2019t want to even do any fine-tuning of the background if at all \t\t\tpossible so as not to disturb the subject. My camera is set before \t\t\tI approach: f\/stop, film counter, everything. And quite often I will \t\t\thave a teleconverter attached so I don\u2019t have to get as close physically \t\t\tcompared to shooting without one.<\/p>\n

I watch the eyes! The subject typically isn\u2019t making much if any \t\t\tbody movement, but it will be moving its eyes as it tracks its prey. \t\t\tBy watching the eyes, you\u2019ll know things like if the food source is \t\t\tmoving, how close it is to the bird and if it\u2019s close enough to be \t\t\tcaught. You\u2019ll also know if the subject is being bothered by your approach. \t\t\tDon\u2019t be in a hurry to get nothing! Move slowly, ever so slowly to \t\t\tget close physically.<\/p>\n

The photo of the Reddish Egret with the flying fish (right in front \t\t\tof its breast) is a great example of this technique in use, with a \t\t\ttwist. This Reddish Egret was photographed at Ft Myers Beach while \t\t\tit was foraging. What was unique about the situation is that I\u2019m standing \t\t\tin water, the same as the subject. In approaching a subject while walking \t\t\tin water, you must make real sure you don\u2019t disturb the water! This \t\t\tmeans that you walk by shuffling your feet along the bottom, not picking \t\t\tthem up out of the water and then setting them back in and splashing. \t\t\tThis is essential and in the natural process of doing this makes you \t\t\twalk slower! At the same time, when you pick up your tripod to move \t\t\tforward, you want to bring it up slowly and set it down slowly so it \t\t\tdoesn\u2019t splash as well. Once you\u2019re in place, be sure to push the front \t\t\ttripod leg in the mud a ways for a stable platform to shoot from.<\/p>\n

\"GreatWith all of those beautiful long \t\t\tfeathers, preening is a common activity of wading birds. This is something \t\t\tyou can take advantage of to get close physically! While they can preen \t\t\tanytime of the day, it is most common in the early morning before they \t\t\thead out foraging and in the late evening before they go to roost. \t\t\tYou must be slow in approaching a bird that is preening because even \t\t\tthough they might have their mind on straightening their feathers, \t\t\tthey are also on guard for predators. And as far as they are concerned, \t\t\tphotographers are predators.<\/p>\n

Another excellent opportunity to photograph wading birds is when \t\t\tthey are asleep! This is something you might want to tackle only if \t\t\tyou have patience. Obviously getting close physically isn\u2019t a challenged \t\t\tas long as you\u2019re quite. This means that you\u2019re all set to shoot prior \t\t\tto setting down the tripod to fire. If the bird is a little ways out \t\t\tin the water or up in a branch above eyelevel, you\u2019ll have the best \t\t\topportunity to find a bird that is deep asleep.<\/p>\n

The patience part comes in as you wait for the bird to wake up. You \t\t\tnaturally take a couple shots of the bird asleep with its eye\u2019s closed, \t\t\tbut that\u2019s not the most desired of posses. The last thing I want you \t\t\tto do is cough or slam a car door (yes, I\u2019ve seen this done) in an \t\t\tattempt to wake the bird either. You just wait because unless it\u2019s \t\t\tstanding dead, it will wake up. Most of the time when they awake and \t\t\tthey find your standing there, they will perform rather than take flight. \t\t\tSo waiting can pay big dividends!<\/p>\n

With wading birds all being big or bigger than most birds, watching \t\t\tthem to learn their biology is really simple. Unless they have been \t\t\tbothered in the past by humans, they are generally on the friendly \t\t\tside. If you find a place in Florida where fishermen are cleaning their \t\t\tcatch, you\u2019re sure to find at least one wading bird you could probably \t\t\tpet! Learn their biology and you\u2019ll get close physically!<\/p>\n

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Optics<\/h2>\n

You\u2019re probably saying, \u201cWell yeah\u2026duh, go buy a big lens and \t\t\t\tyou\u2019ll solve all of your problems.\u201d Well I hate to say it, but in \t\t\t\tsome sense that is the truth! For an excellent example of how and \t\t\t\twhy this is so, I turn again to the Venice Rookery. When it comes \t\t\t\tto getting physically close to the action on the island, you can only \t\t\t\tget as close to the island as the edge of the lagoon (unless you can \t\t\t\twalk on the backs of alligators!). This means that optics are required \t\t\t\tto get the image size desired.<\/p>\n

\"GreatI see lots of folks at the rookery, shooting with 300mm \t\t\tlenses while I\u2019m shooting at 840mm and I\u2019m wishing at times I had more. \t\t\tWhat are they seeing I\u2019m not, or, what am I capturing that they aren\u2019t? \t\t\tWading birds in general live in a watery world, typically a large body \t\t\tof water. All it takes for them to move out of camera range is to walk \t\t\t50+ feet away, further out into the water and we\u2019re out of business! \t\t\tWhile it\u2019s true in some locations that you can proceed right out into \t\t\tthe water as well, more often than not you\u2019re going to need more glass.<\/p>\n

So, what\u2019 the minimum? If we\u2019re photographing birds in every situation \t\t\texcept flight, I can\u2019t imagine shooting with anything shorter than \t\t\t600mm. Can you reach 600mm with a 300mm and 2x teleconverter? Sure, \t\t\tbut then you\u2019re battling the fact that you can\u2019t go any longer, two \t\t\tstops of light loss and an incredibly shallow depth of field. For myself, \t\t\tI can\u2019t start with anything less than 600mm, but I typically don\u2019t \t\t\tstop there. More often than not, the 1.4x teleconverter is attached \t\t\tto the 600mm. This gives me 840mm to work with, the focal length I \t\t\tmost prefer to photograph birds, any bird.<\/p>\n

There is another HUGE benefit to the longer glass that you\u2019ll come \t\t\tacross at places like Ding Darling NWR in Florida. Wading birds live \t\t\tin a rather busy world, one with sticks, grasses, roots and the like \t\t\tall around them. All of this living matter can really ruin a great \t\t\tphotograph! There is nothing worse than having a Green Heron in gorgeous \t\t\tlight at Alligator Alley with a background of roots going every which \t\t\tway! Not that a long lens will make all of the roots go away, but the \t\t\tlonger the lens, the narrower the angle of view, which means the less \t\t\tbackground you\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n

Where this is truly effective is when you have just one twig, one \t\t\tother bird or some small thing in the background you want to disappear. \t\t\tWith the long lens and its narrow angle of view, moving slightly to \t\t\tthe left, right, up or down can make it disappear.<\/p>\n

Perhaps you don\u2019t have money for a long lens, I can understand that. \t\t\tYou have an option open to you that you might not have considered, \t\t\tgoing digital. How does this gain you greater optical reach? Because \t\t\tdigital cameras only capture half of a lens\u2019 optical path, the result \t\t\tis an increase in focal length by 50%. You can pick up a used D1 for \t\t\taround $2500 and when married to an 80-400VR, you have a 120-600mm \t\t\tlens! This combo is a lot less than a new 600f4AFS II. Something to \t\t\tconsider!<\/p>\n

\"RoseatteI can honestly say that on my \t\t\tlast trip to Florida when I shot with the D1, 600f4 AFS and TC-14e \t\t\tat 1260mm, it was really fun and incredibly productive. And in a pinch \t\t\tI could use the TC-20e 2x and have 1800mm! When I first used this combo \t\t\tfor photographing wading birds at the Venice Rookery, man was it ever \t\t\tfun. Getting up close and personal with some of the subjects was killer, \t\t\tincredibly easy and most of all, yielded marvelous quality.<\/p>\n

What about flight shots? Photographing their massive wings is too \t\t\tway cool to describe in words, so by all means you want to go after \t\t\tflight shots. Whenever I\u2019m in Florida photographing wading birds, I \t\t\talways have a second body on my side with a lens attached just for \t\t\tflight photography. Last year when I was in Florida I used the 80-400VR. \t\t\tThis lens is tack sharp but when it comes to focus acquisition from \t\t\ta dead stop, you might as well go for a cup of coffee (unless you prefocus \t\t\tbut that\u2019s hard to do from a dead stop). I did come back with some \t\t\tmarvelous flight shots, but it was more work than fun.<\/p>\n

If I were to be shooting right this moment I would have the 300f4 \t\t\tAFS. When attached to the D1\/X\/H, this is a 450f4 AFS lens, it screams! \t\t\tWhile this can be too much lens at times for photographing a six foot \t\t\twing span in flight, the speed of acquisition is just too good to be \t\t\ttrue!<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want you to think that flight photography is for handheld \t\t\tglass! Photographing birds in flight is a no-brainer using the Wimberley \t\t\tHead and a long lens. The only real trick is to be sure you use \t\t\tproper long lens technique<\/a> and stand between the legs of your tripod \t\t\twhen shooting. Looking at my files, I figure that it\u2019s 50\/50 the number \t\t\tof flight images of wading birds I capture \t\t\thandheld<\/a> versus tripod bound.<\/p>\n

The best of all worlds is to get close physically with long glass. \t\t\tYou\u2019ll find the vast majority of great wading bird images were taken \t\t\tin that manner. But that\u2019s just the start to photographing wading birds \t\t\tsuccessfully!<\/p>\n

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Hey, aren\u2019t these white birds on blue water?<\/h2>\n

Of course they are, so we automatically dial in +1 stop compensation \t\t\t\t\tso we can shoot. NOT! The old \u201cwhite bird on blue water\u201d let\u2019s get rich articles \t\t\t\t\treally should be retired, along with those writing them. There is no such \t\t\t\t\tthing as a subject that requires automatic compensation and white birds are \t\t\t\t\tno exception. Actually, photographing white birds on blue water is a no-brainer \t\t\t\t\tif you use your brains!<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the key to this, a gray card? NO, not that either!!!! The \t\t\tkey to getting the exposure correct is the light. You must shoot within \t\t\tthe three-stop range of light that the film can hold if you want perfect \t\t\twhite bird on blue water exposure. You can get it when the light is \t\t\tnot within three stops, but your birds are going to be dark or your \t\t\twater is going to be dark; you can\u2019t have both.<\/p>\n

Probably more than most birds, these graceful creatures require an \t\t\teloquent light to be shown off at their best. When a soft breeze off \t\t\tthe Gulf of Mexico is fluffing those breeding plumes, I can\u2019t think \t\t\tof any other lighting than less than two stops of early morning or \t\t\tlate evening light. When you work within this range not only will you \t\t\thave ZERO metering problems, you\u2019ll have captured in my opinion the \t\t\tessence of the wading bird.<\/p>\n

Can I tell you one time not to photograph white birds on blue water, \t\t\tthat\u2019s when the water is gray! Any bird, wading bird or not should \t\t\tnot be photographed on water when there is overcast skies in my opinion. \t\t\tI don\u2019t think there is anything worse than this type of images! Yeah, \t\t\tyou can dial in plus compensation to brighten up the image, but it \t\t\twill now just be a brighter shade of gray.<\/p>\n

This pertains to flight shots as well. DON\u2019T DO IT on overcast days! \t\t\tThe other giant problem besides the horrible gray background is exposure. \t\t\tShooting up on a bird with a gray background is a no win situation \t\t\twhen it comes to metering. The underside of the bird that you are photographing \t\t\tis going to be dark to black while the sky is gray. This will well \t\t\tbeyond the three stops of light you want for the best images.Wait for \t\t\tthe blue and three stops of light, you and your images will be much \t\t\thappier!<\/p>\n

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Which way do I turn the camera?<\/h2>\n

Do I shoot these critters horizontally or vertically? This is \t\t\t\ta very common question in which you might not find a comfortable answer \t\t\t\tfor yourself for some time. Do I have my own personal set of guidelines \t\t\t\tfor shooting one way or the other? I sure don\u2019t. When deciding which \t\t\t\tformat to shoot a subject, vertical or horizontal, I ask myself (in \t\t\t\ta heartbeat in reality) a couple of questions. First and foremost \t\t\t\twhat does my gut say? If I don\u2019t have a firm feeling one way or the \t\t\t\tother, I ask myself other questions.<\/p>\n

\"YellowWith my main focus always being \t\t\tthe background, I wonder if I can remove unwanted elements in the background \t\t\tby going either vertically or horizontally. There are times that a \t\t\tsmaller subject can be made to appear larger by going vertical, so \t\t\tI ask myself this question. Going through this very informal checklist \t\t\twhich at times I might not be able to do at all because time doesn\u2019t \t\t\tpermit is simply my own requirements of what I\u2019m looking for in my \t\t\timages.<\/p>\n

I wonder for example if there are elements in the subject itself \t\t\tthat one format over the other will emphasize or de-emphasize. At the \t\t\tsame time I look at the watery background and see it\u2019s really cool. \t\t\tWill one format or the other emphasize it? These are not rules you \t\t\tneed to commit to memory; they are just questions I ask myself in deciding \t\t\tif I\u2019m going vertical or horizontal.<\/p>\n

I have a good friend who is emphatic about framing in regards to \t\t\tthe bird\u2019s feet. Whether you can actually see the feet or not (hidden \t\t\tbelow the water\u2019s surface) you need to leave space for them to be present. \t\t\tIn other words if you can\u2019t actually see the feet, leave room in the \t\t\tphoto for them anyways, don\u2019t crop them out. As you can see from my \t\t\timages, I don\u2019t hold to this rule myself. My point is that each one \t\t\tof us must find the style that we like from our own vision to make \t\t\tthe images magical!<\/p>\n

I\u2019m fortunate that now after two decades much of this is so second \t\t\tnature that I really don\u2019t rationalize through the decision process \t\t\twhen I\u2019m actually shooting. What\u2019s right for me might either be right \t\t\tor wrong for you, and that\u2019s perfectly fine! Photography has lots of \t\t\tvariables built into it, use them to your advantage and you\u2019ll come \t\t\tout a winner!<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve included two images here, both of the same Snowy Egret shot \t\t\tlate one afternoon at Ft Myers Beach. Both shots were taken just seconds \t\t\tapart of the exact same bird. The subject size is nearly the same in \t\t\tboth frames. The natural orientation of the Snowy Egret is horizontal. \t\t\tIt\u2019s strolling along, shifting its feet in the mud trying to scare \t\t\tup a Goby to eat. Its very intent stare into the water and the lighting \t\t\ton its breeding plumes is what caught my attention. Instead of my having \t\t\tto move closer to the egret, I let its foraging path bring it to me.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll notice there is nothing in the background that needs to be \t\t\tremoved. The water itself is nothing special and there is no reflection. \t\t\tOf the two formats, which do I prefer? I like the vertical because \t\t\tfor me, it captures what it was that moment to be a Snowy Egret. There \t\t\tis no right or wrong answer, but perhaps one that is simply better \t\t\tfor you and what you want to communicate!<\/p>\n

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One exception to V or H<\/h2>\n

There is one thing that when I see it, I automatically go vertical \t\t\t\tand that\u2019s reflections. When the air is still and the water like a \t\t\t\tmirror, my mind starts looking for reflections, which means I turn \t\t\t\tmy camera vertically. If I have one rule, that\u2019s got to be it.<\/p>\n

There are actually times you can plan for reflections and make them \t\t\thappen. The best example is pre-dawn at Ft Myers Beach and post-sunset \t\t\tat Ding Darling. The first obvious thing here is, there is no one else \t\t\taround at these times which can really help you succeed! This is essential \t\t\tbecause I find myself often in the water at Ft Myers Beach in the early \t\t\tam. And at Ding Darling, most folks pack their bags and fold their \t\t\ttents and go home once the sun sets which to me is when some of the \t\t\tbest photography is just beginning. In either case, it\u2019s the weaning \t\t\tlight levels that I\u2019m looking for as well as certain biology.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s at these hours that wading birds preen. I\u2019ve already discussed \t\t\thow we can use this activity to get close physically, but I didn\u2019t \t\t\tmention the other really great part of preening. When birds preen, \t\t\tthey open up their feathers and show them off for all of their magnificence! \t\t\tIn spring that means breeding plumes and I can\u2019t think of anything \t\t\tbetter to show twice in a photograph than breeding plumes all fanned \t\t\tout!<\/p>\n

This activity is a two edge sword though when it comes to photography. \t\t\tIt lends itself to some of the best poses of wading birds to be captured \t\t\tin a reflection. At the same time, this activity involves movement \t\t\tas the bird cleans each bard on each feather. This is something you \t\t\tdon\u2019t want when there is no light (no, VR or IS will not help in low \t\t\tlight when the subject is moving!) and of course, no shutter speed. \t\t\tOne of my favorite ways to photograph wading birds then is one of the \t\t\ttrickiest!<\/p>\n

After getting up early or staying late, after finding the subject \t\t\ton a mirror surface, after turning the camera vertically, there is \t\t\tone other very important thing to do. That\u2019s dial in exposure compensation! \t\t\tWe\u2019re working in basically no light and while our meter will deliver \t\t\tthe right exposure, who wants the right metering reading for dark! \t\t\tI generally start by dialing in +2 stops and work my way down to 0 \t\t\tfrom there. How do you know how much is enough compensation? If you\u2019re \t\t\tshooting conventional, you bracket for effect and if you\u2019re shooting \t\t\tdigital, you check your monitor and histograms. Bracketing for effect \t\t\tmeans just that, you have no idea what effect the plus compensation \t\t\tis going to render so you bracket and make your selection once you \t\t\thave your film back. With digital, you simply view your image and information \t\t\tand compensate accordingly.<\/p>\n

Most importantly your exposing for personal preference! There is \t\t\tno really right or wrong but rather, personal taste in what you want \t\t\tto or not to communicate in your image. I can guarantee you that the \t\t\tviewer of your image will have no clue how you exposed for the scene, \t\t\tlet alone the time of day you actually took the photo. If you thought \t\t\tyou had enough on your mind selecting vertical or horizontal, you ain\u2019t \t\t\tseen nothing until you get into these unique scenarios where the truly \t\t\tspectacular images are captured!<\/p>\n

One last tidbit on photographing the reflections of wading birds \t\t\tthat are preening. Quite often they will flare out their wing, turn \t\t\ttheir head upside down and preen away. This is an awesome photographic \t\t\topportunity if you\u2019re ready for it. Besides all that I\u2019ve already written \t\t\tabove, to capture this shot, you need to wait for peak of action. In \t\t\tthis case, the peak of action is when the bird has finished running \t\t\ta feather through its bill and stops for just a heartbeat before grabbing \t\t\tthe next feather. You either need to have a lightning fast trigger \t\t\tfinger or no problem depressing the shutter release and letting the \t\t\tcaptures fly! Of all my wading bird images, it\u2019s this pose in this \t\t\ttype of light that I love the most!<\/p>\n

There are some photographers out there that I\u2019ve met who do nothing \t\t\tbut photograph wading birds. Who can blame them? Waders are both eloquent \t\t\tand challenging! I know that if they were where I am, I sure would \t\t\tspend one heck of a lot more time photographing them. For beginner \t\t\tto experienced alike, they make for great subjects to learn from and \t\t\tphotograph. I\u2019m still learning after twenty years and I hope you too \t\t\thave just as long a time learning from these beautiful members of our \t\t\tavian world!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Like most wildlife photographers, one of my first subjects was a Great Blue Heron. That pathetic image of a lone GBH, dead centered, perched on a boat buoy a thousand […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-7225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-whats-new"],"episode_featured_image":false,"episode_player_image":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.moosepeterson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Podcast.jpg?fit=1500%2C1500&quality=100&ssl=1","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"amazon":{"key":"amazon","url":"https:\/\/www.audible.com\/pd\/Podcast\/B08JJQC1GR?ref=a_pd_item-n_c0_bc&pf_rd_p=1da7ab30-c785-4a0e-a160-4a7e7077b353&pf_rd_r=EEDMYHQM3DZ05FPRTHMJ","label":"Amazon","class":"amazon","icon":"amazon.png"},"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"rss":{"key":"rss","url":"","label":"RSS","class":"rss","icon":"rss.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/2fRA9VaVfSdQMKf1ipxr0tipxr0t","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"itunes":{"key":"itunes","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/moose-podcast\/id1107405746","label":"iTunes","class":"itunes","icon":"itunes.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/www.moosepeterson.com\/blog\/feed\/podcast\/moose-podcast","embedCode":"

Photographing Wading Birds<\/a><\/blockquote>