I caught this single shot as the bird flew by. Being on the shore my angle was downward which gave me this flat background. It was a dull day, and slow dull water.
Egret Over The Ashley River – click to enlarge
The Ashley river flows through marshes until it reaches Charleson Harbor, South Carolina.
This article is part of the ongoing fascination, and frustration, in trying to photograph a deep swamp.
Because any light streams through a green canopy over head and then hits the waters surface, nothing is as it seems.
All An Illusion, Water, Reflections, Shifting Colors – click to enlarge
Above the water appears brown (left bottom) but actually it is crystal clear here, the light shines right down to the mud. Since you have shining sun over the surface judging what is real versus a reflection (tree trunks) is almost impossible.
All An Illusion, Water, Reflections, Shifting Colors – click to enlarge
Now throw in a new wrinkle. The Cypress roots grown up out of the water. Everybody knows a tree roots down not up!
All An Illusion, Water, Reflections, Shifting Colors – click to enlarge
In the last image here the water was deeper. This gave more open space to work with. Still getting perspective in any image escapes me.
I may try shooting video out there. I hesitate since I personally don’t like to shoot video, it takes a tripod that must be carried out, and finally we as an audience look at the first few seconds and move on.
My next attack on getting decent shots out there may be focusing in closer on objects rather than shooting wide.
All comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
These birds are large, but there is little to them. They are skin, bones, and feathers. That’s why you rarely see a decent head on photograph, they disappear.
You must be at an angle to get them (or Great Blues) flying towards you.
Great Egret Entering A Rookery, A Series – click to enlarge
Above is an Egret flying into a swamp rookery from the woods. They will drop down from tree top, come in low, and finally climb to the nesting trees.
Below is a series of photographs taken following the Egret as it flew in towards me, finally twisting to climb.
Click, or double tap, any image to view the gallery.
Great Egret Entering A Rookery, A Series – click to enlarge
Great Egret Entering A Rookery, A Series – click to enlarge
Great Egret Entering A Rookery, A Series – click to enlarge
Great Egret Entering A Rookery, A Series – click to enlarge
Some of the young birds are reluctant to take any long flights. They leave the nest tree, go straight to a tall tree on the waters banks… and go right back.
Young Great Blue Heron In Flight – click to enlarge
I took this, realized what he was doing, and stopped shooting.
Really, I could have 50 of these. 25 going right, 25 going left. Better I wait for something else.
Bumped into him a week ago crossing an old roadway that runs between swamp land. In the woods I might have never noticed him, they blend in perfectly.
Cottonmouth (aka Water Moccasin) – click to enlarge
“..Much like the copperhead, cottonmouths belong to a family of snakes known as pit vipers, all of which share the same wedge-shaped head and catlike eyes seen in the copperhead. Cottonmouths are semi-aquatic, meaning they can swim and prefer moist or wet living conditions.
Cottonmouths have large venom-filled jowls. They vary in color from a brightly colored mix of browns and yellows to solid brown or black. Older cottonmouths tend to be less colorful…” (DNR).
Cottonmouth (aka Water Moccasin) – click to enlargeCottonmouth (aka Water Moccasin) – click to enlarge
I took these shoots and the snake went on his way.
In between the southern monsoons we went out shooting near Charleston Harbor. It’s really a short distance from the marshes so the same birds are in both places.
Great Blue Heron, A Fluke – click to enlarge
We timed the visit to be at low tide and quickly found this opportunity. The fish looks to be a large Fluke. I had thought they were only North Atlantic but unless this is a ‘freakish huge’ Flounder I think that’s what it was.
Great Blue Heron, A Fluke – click to enlarge
The Heron hung on to the fish and walked around, never attempted to eat it. Finally he flew off into the salt marsh.
Click, or double tap, any image below to view the gallery.
