Getting close to this Great Blue Heron surprised me. These birds have been difficult to get close to, even in my pickup. Still, this one let me get close enough for a great blue heron portrait. I do not get a chance like that often with this species.
A Heron by the Bridge Before the Auto Tour Road
This heron was near the bridge just before the start of the auto tour road. That spot is inside the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. I took the photo on May 30, 2021, at 5:58 a.m. So I was out at the refuge early that morning. Also, the bird stayed close long enough for the photo.
Getting This Great Blue Heron Portrait From My Pickup
I draped a bean bag over the open window of my pickup and rested my camera and lens on it. Then I shot from the pickup, using the bean bag for support. My gear for this photo was a Canon EOS R5 camera and a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens. I shot at 371 mm, so I was near the long end of that lens.
Camera settings:
- Camera: Canon EOS R5
- Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II
- Focal length: 371 mm
- Aperture: f/5.6
- Shutter speed: 1/80
- ISO: 16000
- White balance: Auto
- Exposure mode: Manual
- Metering mode: Evaluative
- Exposure compensation: 0
- Back-button focus
- Continuous auto focus
- Processed with Luminar
More Great Blue Heron Posts From My Site
This close encounter stands out to me because these herons usually keep their distance. For that reason, I was glad this bird gave me the chance. If you want more heron photos, I have four earlier posts linked below. Each post covers a different heron encounter from my time photographing these birds.