Green Heron

Canon 30D, 70-200 f/4L, ISO: 100, aperture: f/4, shutter: 1/200, focal length: 200mm, tripod: no, filter: no

The Green Heron is a common species in wetland areas of North and Central America.  This photo was taken in a created wetland at the Oregon Garden near Salem.  Created backyard habitats and developed garden areas provide great opportunities to photograph wildlife in a ‘natural’ surrounding.  Animals are attracted to these urban ‘natural’ areas and can often be approached much closer than in the ‘wild’.  Animals look for food, water and cover, so if you can provide those, you will attract wildlife to your yard.

I was about 20 feet away from this heron so was able to get some nice tight shots with a 70-200.  Using f/4 and zoomed to 200 provided a nice shallow depth of field to help isolate the main subject.  My camera is most often set to aperture priority, so I can control the depth of field.