There are wildlife encounters that stop you in your tracks — and then there are the ones that make you forget to breathe. These two frames of a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) wading through golden, sunlit shallows are exactly … Read More

When most people think of a Great Blue Heron, they picture a stoic figure standing at the water’s edge. But sometimes that stillness gives way to something unexpected: a wide-open bill aimed skyward, holding perfectly still. It looks like a … Read More

Home Outtakes Here we are, barely two weeks before Christmas, coming to our final Lens-Artists challenge of the year. As is our tradition, today we focus on photos we did not include in any of the challenges or other posts … Read More

Lens-Artists Challenge #375: Where to Find the Mysterious “Darkness falls across the landThe midnight hour is close at handCreatures crawl in search of bloodTo terrorize y’all’s neighbourhood.” Vincent Price’s words at the end of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” After an unanticipated … Read More

Lens-Artists Challenge #369: Dreamy How timely this challenge is! I just returned from a week-long photography workshop in Missouri. It was very intensive with daily assignments, workshops, critiques, and field trips. I loved the experience and the people I met. … Read More

It has not been too long since I had a post about Great Blue Herons. This bird is worth featuring again, especially when all photos here were captured just a couple of hours ago outside my backyard. It all started … Read More

Lens-Artists Challenge #347: Break the Rules! Before I found out there were rules in photography, I was simply shooting what I liked. I agree that rules help make a shot a better image. However, there are times when your intuition speaks … Read More

“It is in the wild places, where the edge of the earthmeets the corners of the sky, the human spirit is fed.”[Art Wolfe, American photographer and conservationist] What is wild? A dictionary definition includes living in a state of nature, … Read More

As the largest heron in North America, a Great Blue Heron can reach a height of up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) and a wingspan of up to 6.5 feet (nearly 2 meters). With a distinctive light blue plumage and … Read More

I am not a birder, as the familiar word goes for people who enjoy bird-watching. I am, instead, a casual bird watcher. If you are wondering what the difference is, it is simple. I enjoy bird-watching at convenient times. I … Read More