I can't tear myself away from the coverage of Anna Nicole's funeral long enough to put together a proper post tonight. Instead I'll just pass along this link to Laura at Vitamin Sea. She's in Florida and shares Mary's affinity for GB Herons. I think she may even call them stinkers too. Someone turned one of her very nice photos of a GB Heron into a painting and she's sharing the finished artwork on her blog today. She also has a link to the artist's site and there's more nice things to peruse there. Have a look. I took this awful photo towards the end of January; pulled off to the side of the road *a la Mary* and tried to keep the big lens from shaking too much while I hoped that someone wouldn't crash into me. It could have been a really nice pic if I'd had a tripod, but setting that up surely would have scared him away. I love the way the telephoto lens distorted the background - too bad all my shaking also totally distorted the bird too. It hurts my eyes to look at it for too long, sort of the way looking at Anna Nicole's pink-draped coffin all day hurts my eyes. Anyway, I'm just noticing that this guy had his pretty breeding plumes on in late January - what's up with that?
9 comments:
Laura,
Have their been presidential funerals with less coverage? Maybe. Anna Nicole Smith all day - all the time. Britney Spears - all day all the time. Somebody please make it stop!
Yes, the GBH is a stinker sometimes but I just love that bird. Thanks for the link! I posted my honest comment...that the painting was lovely. Truly great.
I'm glad to know that you have trouble at times with photographing birds, like I do. You're photos are always perfect and I get jealous.
I should have said,
"Have THERE been presidential funerals..." I need some rest :o)
Mary makes a very good point about presidential funerals vs. Anna's funeral. Actually, I haven't been watching any of it, but can't help but hear it when I'm at the gym. Anna & Britney - very tired of hearing just their names mentioned.
I love your bird photo even though it is blurry.
I have avoided pretty much all the ANS coverage since I do not have a television, let alone cable. There are times that I am tempted to spend the money on one or both, but when things like this happen, I am just as glad not to have them.
I have read that resting the lens on a towel on the door can help stabilize long lenses when you are shooting from inside a car. I have not had the opportunity to try it myself, though.
Mary: I'm not watching it at all, but for some crazy reason my DH has it on - so it's unpleasant background noise. I agree - enough already!
I don't take many bird pics - most of those I do have to really be cropped to see any detail. Don't have the right equipment, but I'm really impressed with the bird pics you get. My big lens is *slow* so the lighting has to be perfect and usually the pics are pretty soft. This one was terribly soft!
Naturewoman: It's almost impossible to avoid it. Maddening!
John: Cool that you don't have a TV! I could do with it and the phone - I'd be a happy camper.
I've used that trick with the towel, but this bird was on the passenger side of my car and the lens isn't that long.
;-)
I am with you all on the ANS coverage. Enough already. It's a sad commentary on our values as a nation, in my opinion. I can't believe it is newsworthy at all.
Speaking of bird pictures, you lovely ladies have rubbed off on me...yesterday there were two birds at my dad's birdbath. I snuck around the house, balanced my lens on the gate, ready to take a shot of a robin and some other bird I wasn't familiar with. They looked so cute together...and then my brother's dog barked. And they flew away. Sigh.
Vitaminsea is a daily must read of mine ... as is this blog.
I don't think even our GBH's (the ones I've seen lately) have plumage yet, although the egrets definitely do.
That is so NOT an awful picture. I like the romantic soft look to it. Your "awful" pictures are better than my "good" ones.
This morning, I had the news on as I got ready (the hotel room was so small, part of the bathroom was in the sleeping area with the TV) and I saw the pink-draped coffin and I had to roll my eyes. But at least the poor woman is being put to rest already!
I have noticed the "first line of defense" thing with the chickadees, titmice and downies. Smart little guys, considering their brains are the size of peanuts. Out of the shell, even.
I'm with Susan--that is a beautiful photo! And you cracked me up with your ANS "report." Thanks for that valuable update!
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