In ancient cultures, the heron was considered a symbol of patience and commitment. It was admired for its ability to remain motionless for extended periods, and then, when the moment was right, act with speed and precision - qualities a wildlife photographer needs in abundance.
The photographs of Great Blue Herons, and other shore birds, were all made on three mountain lakes in northern Arizona, using a pedal-driven kayak. Since this type of kayak is powered by the feet, the hands are free for photography. The craft creates very little noise or visible motion, so it is possible to approach a subject quite closely, and then react immediately if there is activity. In addition, since reverse is obtained simply by pedalling backwards, you can maintain station, despite wind or current, just by alternating the direction of pedalling. A great many of these photographs would have been unobtainable without this particular type of kayak.
Equipment: Native Watercraft Propel 10 kayak. Nikon D500 camera. Sigma 100-300mm f/4 lens. Raw files processed in iMac.
