My Corner of New Hanover
Peaceful
Posted by Russ Devan (New Hanover, United States) on 7 May 2008 in Animal & Insect and Portfolio.
This is an image that I actually forgot that I had taken last September. I have little memory left so, if you know me, that wouldn't be hard to believe. I found this while hunting around for another image to play around with tonight.
This was taken at Green Lane Reservoir while on an early morning walk. I remember stalking this Great Blue Heron with my 70-300 mm zoom lens and 2x teleconverter. It was actually kind of fun and challenging to see how close I could get without frightening it away. I actually got a lot closer after I took this photograph.
It's amazing how being around nature and wildlife can bring about a sense of peace. Even just working on nature photographs, such as this one, brings me a sense of calm and greatly reduces my stress level. I played with this image for about two hours, tweeking it just so to enhance the reflections and tones to my liking. It was actually very therapeutic. After an especially stressful day of dealing with a few knuckleheads, I was in a rather foul mood. My photography, in particular, the nature and landscapes images on which I love to work, helps eliminate that stress and brings me a lot of peace (I guess that's why I shoot so much). James Taylor sings about going "up on the roof" to seek peace when people are too much to take. For me, being the introvert that I am (an INTP to be exact, if you like Myers-Briggs tests), it's being out in the natural world and capturing it with my camera so I can visit it again and again and enjoy how beautiful it is and remind myself how much more sense it makes.
Thanks for listening to me ramble.
"The Master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both."
- Zen Buddhist Text
Betty from New Jersey, United States
It's so nice that you can find relief in your photography! Shooting lowers my stress levels, also... which I just realized a few weeks ago! That's why I shoot so much lately!
Wonderful shot and reflection... nice work.
7 May 2008 10:15am
Betsy Barron from Glenmoore, United States
I always like to hear you 'ramble' - your stories make the image that much more interesting.. great shot, great colors, terrific reflection
7 May 2008 11:04am
Gnarf from Stockholm, Sweden
I recognize myself in your ramble and I like photos with more background, so keep rambling :) Also a very nice shot! You did the reflections good.
7 May 2008 12:09pm
Marie-Hélène Ammor from Casablanca/Paris, Morocco
Wonderful reflections and colors !
7 May 2008 6:16pm
Wizened Eye from United States
Your therapy is our blessing. I too have stalked Great Blue, but as yet haven't a good enough photo to show for it. As you know, they're shy. Nice shot, although I must wonder if the colors would be less saturated if you hadn't spent a dealing with knuckleheads kind of day! The bird's reflection is especially good.
By the way, I do remember film ; ) - hell, I nearly remember tintypes... And I remember the peace I used to find in my darkroom's dim light, images slowly materializing in the trays of cool developer, silent pictures projecting in reversed tones. No computer hum, no outside distractions, no eyestrain. But yes, working with an image today is also very pleasurable and the possibilities are so much broader (if one wants to go there).
Keep on "rambling". It enriches your photos (not that they need enriching), and I find your comments interesting and often instructive.
8 May 2008 12:33pm
Nikon D200
1/40 second
F/5.6
ISO 800
220 mm