Persistence
Having spotted me, an mature Great Blue Heron prepares to flee the scene
A juvenile Great Blue Heron sits on a rock, sporting a textbook example of “teenage grogginess”
A juvenile Great Blue Heron makes sure I capture his good side
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” I think we’ve all heard this said. Heck, I’ve even said it on occasion. However I think it’s also well understood that true insanity is far more complex than this pithy statement. Rather, this definition is used to point out the ironic humor in one of the key ways we learn, trial and error. Take the two photos as an example; one of the first birds I ever photographed was a Great Blue Heron (GBH). This bird is my “spark bird” as it is sometimes referred to among birders; it is the bird that really got me interested in birding. I love the beauty and elegance these birds display as they slowly and decisively stalk about the shallows. As a tall gangly marionette of a human, it is not hard to surmise why I might feel this way. While on a hike with my wife, we stumbled upon this small pond that had 5 GBH! I saw one chilling in the shallows at one end of the pond; I took my time and slowly approached. I didn’t yet understand GBH behavior and had no idea how to tell when I might be bothering the creature. So I continuously rattled off photos, just in case I didn’t get the chance to inch closer. I didn’t think about composition, lighting, capturing the birds character … all I thought about was getting close and pushing the shutter button. After 25 minutes of taking smaller and slower steps than a child entering its ambulatory stage, the GBH decided I was too close and took to flight. Two years later I found myself in a similar situation; while crossing a foot bridge arching over a small creek, I looked down to scan for these wonderful birds. By this time, I had gone out enough times that I understood these birds more. I understood what they liked to eat and where they liked to hang out. It’s now habit for me to scan shore beds, sandbars, and shallows when i’m near a body of water. I almost missed the young GBH chilling on a rock as he was awoken by the early morning sun. I looked at the light and adjusted my camera settings. I crouched near some tall weeds and slowly crawled on the ground toward the bird so I was out of sight. as I got closer to the bird, I peeked through the weeds to observe his behavior; he was dutifully preening himself and scratching his head. As he did so I slowly crept out from behind the weeds, keeping a close eye on his behavior. If I moved too much or made too much noise he would stop and stare me down with his sharp yellow eyes. I too, would freeze in place and stare back at him until he became calm once more and continued with his morning routine. I knew he saw me, but I also knew that as long as I went slow and showed him I was just there to hang out with him I’d be ok. I held up my camera and looked at how the greenery behind him framed his body. I adjusted my position to get just the right angle so my youthful friend popped from his surroundings. I framed my shot to pull you in to his world. I captured calm and natural behavior instead of tense and agitated behavior. Over the course of two and half hours, I inched closer and was able to capture a beautiful portrait of my new friend. The difference between these two moments is stark, just look at the photos! I’m proud of all of these photos but for different reasons. I’m proud of my first photo because I tried something new. In spite of a lack of understanding, I went out and tried anyway, and although I wouldn’t call it a failure, I wouldn’t really call it a success either. I’m proud of the other two photos because they show how much I have truly grown, not only in my technical skill but in my understanding of the world around me. Failure is not the enemy, but letting your failure defeat you is; indeed with out failure there is no way to grow and learn. Be persistent. What may look like insanity to many is seen as dedication and persistence to the few who understand.
