{"id":63696,"date":"2020-02-03T06:46:04","date_gmt":"2020-02-03T13:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=63696"},"modified":"2022-01-20T06:27:34","modified_gmt":"2022-01-20T13:27:34","slug":"photographing-a-great-blue-heron-flying-in-dense-fog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/02\/03\/photographing-a-great-blue-heron-flying-in-dense-fog\/","title":{"rendered":"Photographing A Great Blue Heron Flying In Dense Fog"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DenseDense fog and a Great Blue Heron in flight \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 800, +1.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I accept that not every day in the field is going to be, pardon the pun, picture perfect but almost every trip taken to look for birds to photograph is better than staying home. Some days when I head out into the field to look for birds to photograph I find great lighting conditions and on others the clouds might hang over me all morning or afternoon long and cause poor and challenging lighting situations.<\/p>\n

But I am who I am and who that is is someone who will try to make the best of what I have even when that is a fog so dense that I can barely make out the shape of my subject in it.<\/p>\n

At the end of January I was met with what was probably the foggiest conditions I had ever seen on the auto tour route of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/span><\/a>. That morning there were Great Blue Herons close to the road that weren’t completely made invisible by the droplets of moisture suspended in dense curtains over the marsh.<\/p>\n

The herons that were standing on the shelf ice were somewhat of a challenge to photograph in the thick fog.<\/p>\n

\"GreatGreat Blue Heron on the wing in heavy fog \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 800, +1.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When I saw the shape of a Great Blue Heron flying towards me through the murk of the heavy fog I knew I wanted to try and photograph it just to test my skills and my gear.<\/p>\n

I hoped in that moment that I’d be able to lock onto the Great Blue Heron while it was in flight and take a few photos of it as it flew past. I was able to lock onto the flying Great Blue Heron despite the gloom and low light conditions and I am pleased with the resulting images.<\/p>\n

\"LandingLanding Great Blue Heron in foggy conditions \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 800, +1.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When I look at these photos of the large heron in flight in the fog I believe they convey a mood that photos taken in better light simply would or could not have.<\/p>\n

These Great Blue Heron images also help me to “see” what this species would have looked like as they lived their lives in primordial swamps, estuaries and marshes hundreds of thousands of years ago. There are times that I wish I could be a time-traveler and head back to a time before humans started mucking up this planet, photos such as these are as close as I can get to that.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Great Blue Heron photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

P.S., We are finally having a real, freaking, honest to goodness snow storm this morning! I shouldn’t be so excited about a snow day but I am!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

These Great Blue Heron images also help me to “see” what this species would have looked like as they lived their lives in primordial swamps, estuaries and marshes hundreds of thousands of years ago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":99124,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,27,1148,166,26],"tags":[4117,8555,4052,4122,8302,4175,3984,8556,3987,8479,627,626,4064,4123,4094,6384,8300,8557,4050,8558,313,4095,373],"class_list":["post-63696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-great-blue-herons","category-utah","tag-ardea-herodias","tag-dense-fog","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-focusing","tag-fog","tag-foggy","tag-foggy-conditions","tag-great-blue-heron","tag-heavy-fog","tag-heron","tag-herons","tag-ice","tag-landing","tag-marsh","tag-on-the-wing","tag-photographing","tag-primordial-swamps","tag-snow","tag-time-traveler","tag-wading-birds","tag-wetlands","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/great-blue-heron-flight-in-dense-fog-mia-mcpherson-5837.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-gzm","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":109201,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/01\/01\/hello-2023\/","url_meta":{"origin":63696,"position":0},"title":"Hello 2023!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 1, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Hello 2023! I hope that 2023 will be wonderful for each and everyone of us. Right now it isn't clear what 2023 will bring.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Blue Heron in dense fog, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/great-blue-heron-thick-fog-mia-mcpherson-5748.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/great-blue-heron-thick-fog-mia-mcpherson-5748.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/great-blue-heron-thick-fog-mia-mcpherson-5748.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/great-blue-heron-thick-fog-mia-mcpherson-5748.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63480,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/01\/28\/great-blue-herons-in-heavy-fog-at-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":63696,"position":1},"title":"Great Blue Herons In Heavy Fog At Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"These foggy Great Blue Heron photos are probably the foggiest images in my portfolio and despite that I truly like how they turned out.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Blue Heron landing in heavy fog. Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/great-blue-heron-heavy-fog-landing-mia-mcpherson-5842.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/great-blue-heron-heavy-fog-landing-mia-mcpherson-5842.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/great-blue-heron-heavy-fog-landing-mia-mcpherson-5842.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/great-blue-heron-heavy-fog-landing-mia-mcpherson-5842.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":120113,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/01\/25\/ring-billed-gull-flying-in-heavy-fog\/","url_meta":{"origin":63696,"position":2},"title":"Ring-billed Gull Flying In Heavy Fog","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 25, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Once upon a time, in a marsh not so far away, I photographed a Ring-billed Gull flying in heavy fog. It was the densest fog I have ever photographed in.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Ring-billed Gull flying in heavy fog, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ring-billed-gull-heavy-fog-flight-mia-mcpherson-5941.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ring-billed-gull-heavy-fog-flight-mia-mcpherson-5941.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ring-billed-gull-heavy-fog-flight-mia-mcpherson-5941.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ring-billed-gull-heavy-fog-flight-mia-mcpherson-5941.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":99105,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/01\/20\/great-blue-heron-in-fog-on-the-playa-at-farmington-bay\/","url_meta":{"origin":63696,"position":3},"title":"Great Blue Heron In Fog On The Playa At Farmington Bay","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"On my last trip to Farmington Bay WMA ten days ago one of my birdy subjects was an adult Great Blue Heron in a light fog out on the playa in morning light.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Blue Heron in fog on the playa, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/great-blue-heron-fog-playa-mia-mcpherson-6741.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/great-blue-heron-fog-playa-mia-mcpherson-6741.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/great-blue-heron-fog-playa-mia-mcpherson-6741.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/great-blue-heron-fog-playa-mia-mcpherson-6741.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":117958,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/11\/08\/great-blue-heron-photos-in-winter\/","url_meta":{"origin":63696,"position":4},"title":"Great Blue Heron Photos In Winter","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 8, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"If you want to take Great Blue Heron photos in winter, on snow and ice, then head to Bear River MBR in Utah after the marsh freezes and the snow starts to fall.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fluffed up Great Blue Heron walking on ice, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/great-blue-heron-winter-ice-mia-mcpherson-3169.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/great-blue-heron-winter-ice-mia-mcpherson-3169.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/great-blue-heron-winter-ice-mia-mcpherson-3169.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/great-blue-heron-winter-ice-mia-mcpherson-3169.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":118648,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/12\/01\/bring-on-the-snow\/","url_meta":{"origin":63696,"position":5},"title":"Bring On The Snow!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 1, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Snow is supposed to start falling around 10 a.m. where I live in northern Utah. It might be the first significant snowfall of this winter down in the valley.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ring-billed Gull on snow, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ring-billed-gull-whiteout-conditions-mia-mcpherson-1868.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ring-billed-gull-whiteout-conditions-mia-mcpherson-1868.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ring-billed-gull-whiteout-conditions-mia-mcpherson-1868.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ring-billed-gull-whiteout-conditions-mia-mcpherson-1868.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63696"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63696\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}