Beauty and a Beastly Background
Great blue heron by shadow of chain link fence.
Although you wouldn’t be able to tell from the photo gallery in this blog, I’ve long been fascinated by incongruous scenes, where great blue herons or egrets appear with unexpected objects or backgrounds, ones we don’t usually associate with natural beauty. Since my first paying photography gig was hanging a show for Diane Arbus, it might be easy to understand the seeds of that fascination.
This week, Michelle W has challenged us with the concept of juxtaposition, and so the photo here has a beautiful great blue heron striding atop the rocks in front of the shadow of a broken down chain link fence.
She’s a beauty by a beast of a background.
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Thanks to Michelle W and WordPress for the Weekly Photo Challenge: Juxtaposition.
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A selection of my heron and flower photos is now available at the Five Crows Gallery in Natick, MA. Drop in and see the work of the many wonderfully creative artists who show there when you’re in the area.
Five Crows is on FaceBook. To give the gallery a visit, please click here.
Remember: Walk softly and carry a long lens.™
The Tao of Feathers™
© 2014 Babsje. (https://babsjeheron.wordpress.com)
Great Blue Heron
Posted on January 24, 2014, in ardea herodias, Art, Bird photography, Feathers on Friday, Great Blue Heron, Heron, Nature Photography, postaday, Weekly Photo Challenge and tagged great blue heron, postaday. Bookmark the permalink. 14 Comments.
Babsje Heron 
Something a bit surreal, but beautiful at the same time here. Fantastic shot of the GBH.
Many thanks, Gunta! I’m so glad you like it. The chain link fence overhangs the shoreline there, and so while you don’t see the fence, otself, the shadow plays on the wall, making different patterns throughout the day depending on the angle of the sun.
really nice for the theme – and such an artsy photo (again) – like the way the diamonds (in the shadow) on the fence are in harmony with the point and shape of the heron’s beak – and even the bend in the knees works with the angles in the diamonds. And then there is the large “V” shadow to the far left – which adds more….
Also, the muted tone in this photo allows the blue in the feathers to subtly stand out – and maybe even work with the rock colors –
and not to read too much into the picture – but I also see a sense of freedom juxtaposed with the fence shadow – we have the bird unencumbered and stepping gingerly on three rocks – with the man-made fence not hindering in any way – hmmmm
nice photo.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful feedback, I like how you’ve analyzed the composition and pointed things out. You’re right that these are lots of angles in the photo, the shadow diamonds, the sharp beak and knees. Thanks for looking so closely at this photo!
No critic of its surrounding, that heron, no take a photo of my best side. .I like this.
What a great observation: unlike many models, the heron has no care for its “best side!” Many thanks for your great comment!
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