A Quiet Cove on the Potomac.....

 

 

 

 

       In March of 2012 I found myself staying with a friend at his home in the Northern Neck of Virginia. I had done a wildlife art show in the area, and he was kind enough to host me for the week. I decided to leave before dawn, and see if I could find something interesting to shoot at sunrise. My drive took me along the Potomac River heading north toward my next stop in Baltimore. The road is an historic route through a beautiful section of the Virginia countryside.

      Along the way, and shortly before dawn, I came across a sign that pointed the way to George Washington's birthplace, which has now been turned into a national historic park. Although still dark, the sky was just beginning to get light, and so I decided to pull in and check it out. Even though I had arrived long before anyone else who might work there, I decided to park and do some exploring. Just behind the visitors center was a quiet little bay that meandered out into the Potomac River. I climbed down a steep slope to the shoreline and began walking toward the river.

      As the sun was starting  to rise across the bay, the cove began to light up and reveal itself to me. Looking first at the rising sun, I quickly noticed this motionless heron standing before me in the shallows of the water looking to find a fish for his breakfast. I had not bothered to carry a telephoto lens with me, so I had to frame a composition that would lend itself to my 24 - 105 lens. I knew I only had seconds to frame my shot before the sun would break the horizon and the heron would decide to fly away. I set the camera to aperture priority mode, the lens to F16 and took the shot. Knowing that the lighting was going to be tough, I shot the image in RAW, as it would give me the best latitude in post-processing the image. All in all, I am pretty pleased with it, and I feel blessed to have shared this moment with the heron. Too bad every morning can't begin this way for everyone. I hope you enjoy the image.