I took this photo of a Great Blue Heron flying over Charleston City Lake here in Arkansas back in January 2014. I was at this lake photographing Bald Eagles and several Great Blue Heron were also hanging around. I was sitting in my pickup when this one flew across the lake in front of me. Using a vehicle as a blind works well for these birds most of the time because they are used to seeing vehicles in the area.

Great Blue Heron Over Charleston City Lake
Great Blue Heron Over Charleston City Lake

How I Got The Shot – Great Blue Heron

I was using a Canon EOS 7D Mark II camera with a Canon EF500mm f/4L IS USM lens. I had this setup resting on a bean bag draped over the open window of my pickup.

Camera Settings

  • AV Mode
  • Back-button focus
  • Aperture f5.6
  • ISO 640
  • Shutter speed – 1/1000 sec.
  • Auto White Balance
  • Single Point, Continuous Auto Focus
  • Exposure Compensation: -1/3 EV
  • Spot Metering
  • Focal Length – 500 mm