Beautiful Great Blue Heron Magic Trick?
Great Blue Heron feathers – B+W – babsjeheron
Look, you might as well know, this thing
is going to take endless repair: rubber bands,
crazy glue, tapioca, the square of the hypotenuse.
Nineteenth century novels. Heartstrings, sunrise:
all of these are useful. Also, feathers.
There’s an exquisite intricacy to feathers, the sublime structures of individual feathers, as well as the interconnectedness of groups of feathers working together in harmony to make flight possible.
Individually, so soft.
Collectively, so strong.
What is soft is strong, as Lao-Tzu says in the Tao Te Ching.
While the magnificent wingspan of the Great Blue Heron is spectacular, the beauty of Heron feathers isn’t limited to the powerful wings. In an earlier post, I shared photos of other less prominent but still stunning feathers, some arranged in intricate patterns. (Please click here to catch up if you missed those earlier photos.)
The feather shown at the top is the same feather as that shown at bottom. Both photos were taken on the same day, with the same camera and lens, within minutes of each other. Only the background colors have been changed. Years ago, before I knew it was not allowed, I gathered those Great Blue Heron aigrette feathers, which I treasure. You can see one of them in my blog’s masthead art.
Is an optical illusion magic? Yes, in fact, many magic tricks employ optical illusions. Some fascinating examples of ‘color illusions’ such as this can be found at Brain Den. Enjoy!
I think we need all the magic we can get. How about you?
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Cee Neuner, Debbie Smyth, and the creative and inspiring Lens Artists Tina, Amy, Patti, and Leya all encourage the community of photographers and writers. Please click the links below to see the beautiful offerings from these wonderful photographers.
The focus for this week’s Lens Artist challenge hosted by Ann-Christine is “One Image One Story.”
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Thanks to Cee for her CBWC: Matching Things.
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Thanks to Debbie for her Six Word Saturday: Leaving snowy Luton for warmer climes. The title is the requisite six words long.
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From Tina Lens Artists Weekly Photo Challenge 176: One Image, One Story .
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From Patti Lens Artists Weekly Photo Challenge 176: One Image, One Story .
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From Amy Lens Artists Weekly Photo Challenge 176: One Image, One Story .
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From Leya Lens Artists Weekly Photo Challenge 176: One Image, One Story.
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Folks, now that some areas are opening back up, please consider supporting your local Arts communities – whether music, theater, crafts, visual arts venues, and others. All have been impacted over the past year and a half and they need your love more than ever.
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Natick Center Cultural District
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The Natick Center Cultural District is situated in a friendly, classic New England town hosting a vibrant, contemporary fusion of art, culture and business. Learn more!
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My brick & mortar presence in Massachusetts dates back to 2009 in several local venues/galleries.
Please watch this space for news of my upcoming Winter 2022 gallery show.
TCAN – The Center for Arts Natick
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Natick Town Hall
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Five Crows Gallery in Natick
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Audubon Sanctuary
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Be a fly on the wall! Please CLICK HERE to see the Great Blue Herons gracing the gallery walls.
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Remember: Walk softly and carry a long lens.™
May the Muse be with you.™
The Tao of Feathers™
© 2003-2021 Babsje. (https://babsjeheron.wordpress.com)
Great Blue Heron, Kayaking, TCAN, Five Crows, Natick
Posted on December 4, 2021, in # Lens-Artists, ardea herodias, B&W, Birds, Feathers, Heron, Mindfulness, Nature, Photography, Wildlife Photography and tagged #6WS, #fivecrows, CBWC, Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, TCAN. Bookmark the permalink. 40 Comments.
Babsje Heron 
Sometimes I see grace and beauty, other times an old reptile. Sometimes it’s a fellow traveler to admire, other times I think of hunting them. They still fascinate me though.
Hi Chris. Thanks for your thought-provoking observations. I’m glad you appreciate them in all of those various moods! Best, Babsje
I know the comment is a little deeper, but I suspect we all have similar thoughts from time to time. Mostly, it’s a sense of awe and respect that keeps me coming back, though.
Thanks for the awesome photos too.
Hi Chris. Thanks so much for saying that. The stereotypical Great Blue Heron photo is of one standing serenely at the water’s edge with a background of reeds. I do like those photos but I also like capturing them in wildly different postures and moods, too. Thanks for your kind words about the photos. Best, Babsje
Soft, beautiful, and strong! Beautiful feather images.
Hi Amy, thank you very much for your kind compliment! Glad you appreciate the feathers. Best, Babsje
Exquisite.
Thanks very much for your lovely compliment! I’m happy that you like the Heron feathers. Best, Babsje
That feather has taken millions of years to evolve. The design is a mystery, the effect is awe inspiring!
Hi Wayne. Thanks for your great observations. I like how you said this. Millions of years to evolve and a mystery. I also like that the immatures don’t seem to have these feathers and that the aged Herons can have them in abundance. They are like the Silver Backs of the ardea worlds. Best, Babsje
Looking at them under a microscope or with a magnifying glass takes us into another world!
Hi Wayne. I’ve never seen them under a microscope! That sounds like something every lover of feathered creatures should try. I bet it really is a peek into another world. Good idea. Best, Babsje
These are beautiful feathers! Well, feather. Beautiful photographs, I should say! I didn’t know you are not allowed to collect the feathers. Why? Were people harming the birds somehow to get them?
Hi Katherine! I’m so glad you like the Heron feather. And yes, for more than 100 years the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the U.S. and an equivalent regulation in Canada prohibit gathering and possessing feathers and other avian things like eggs, nests, etc. I’ve blogged about that a few times. Here is the most recent: https://babsjeheron.wordpress.com/2021/06/12/beautiful-great-egret-and-the-mbta/ Best, Babsje
While picking up a loose feather off the ground wouldn’t be a problem, possession is. The possession of any eagle feather carries a five year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine, and they don’t care how you came into having the feather.
Hi David. Thanks! Picking up loose feathers and taking them to keep is prohibited. People are allowed to have Eagle feathers under certain circumstances – Native Americans or Indigenous Peoples and individuals with specific state or Federal permits. Usually those are breeders or rehabilitators.
So beautiful – indeed they are wonders, aren’t they…and we do need all the magic we can get.
Many thanks Ann-Christine for hosting this great challenge and for your lovely comment. Best, Babsje
You are very welcome.
oh what gorgeous feathers. Nicely done 😀 😀
Hi Cee. I’m so pleased that you like the matching feathers. Thanks for hosting your wonderful CBWC challenge and for your kind comment. Best, Babsje
All three feather shots are beautiful, Babsje.
janet
Thank you very much Janet. I’m pleased that you appreciate the Heron feathers! Best, Babsje
Dear Babsje,
your photographs of the feather are GREAT, simple and elegant.
Thanks for sharing 🙏 🙏
With lots f love from the wild sea
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
P.S.
We didn’t know that it Is not allowed to collect these feathers.
Happy Sunday afternoon to you and thanks for your lovely compliment. I’m pleased that you like the simplicity of the aigret feather. It was fun creating that photo. In terms of the prohibition on collecting feathers, I blogged about the Migratory Bird Treaty Acts a few months ago. I believe it’s international in scope but the UK may have a separate regulation? https://babsjeheron.wordpress.com/2021/06/12/beautiful-great-egret-and-the-mbta/ Wishing all the Fab Four of Cley a lovely evening with your wild seas! 😊 😊 😊 😊 Best, Babsje
Ah, beautiful feathers, my dear Babsje and oh yes, what is soft is strong! 😉
Happy Sunday! xo
Hi Marina. Many thanks for your kind comments. I thought you would appreciate the words about what’s soft is strong! Also I have been enjoying your own posts updating your gallery images for As Above, So Below. Beautiful and evocative. Have a great week. Best, Babsje 💐
Ah, thank you dear Babsje for your kindness!
A great week to you too! 🌷🌻🌷
You’re welcome and thank you too! 😊 🌼 🌞
🤗😘
What beautiful and delicate feathers, Babsje. Lovely images.
Hi Patti. Thank you very much for your thoughtful compliment. I’m glad you like the Heron feathers. Best, Babsje
The feathers — and the creative photography — are delightful, but no less delightful is the quotation at the top. I lgrinned as I read through it. It reminded me of my dad’s perfectly serious proclamation to me when I still was in grade school that “bubble gum, a bobby pin, and tape” could fix anything in the world. He never mentioned feathers, but I’ll bet he would have if he’d just thought about it a little longer.
Many thanks for your lovely comments. I love your story about your father’s quote about bubble gum, a bobby pin and tape! Thanks for sharing it here. He’s definitely a kindred spirit to Barbara Kingsolver. And I’m pleased that you like the Heron photos. Best, Babsje
Feathers are one of wonders of Nature. So much function and beauty packed into tiny fractions of an ounce.
Hi Martha. Many thanks for your great observations. I agree entirely – they are indeed wonders of Nature. Best, Babsje
Wow! I love both images. It’s surprising how much difference the background colour makes. Thank you for sharing your beautiful feather.
Hi Sandra. Many thanks for your lovely compliment. As an artist, I thought you’d definitely appreciate the little optical illusion! Best, Babsje
Wonderful feather yin yang photo!
Hi Rebecca. So glad you noticed the yin/yang! I tried to crop the photo to better reflect that aspect, in both circle and oval presentations, but rectangular won out. Many thanks for your great observation. Best, Babsje