“Shadow Dancer” was created by Aileen Harding, M. Photog. Cr., CPP of Baytown, Texas. The heron was photographed during breeding season at the Smith Point Rookery in High Island. One of the joys of living along the Gulf Coast is being in a major migratory path for birds. Aileen especially enjoys photographing the larger herons. “They’re easier to see and not nearly so fast as the little songbirds,” she says. “I love to just sit and watch their behavior. Some herons dance so that their shadows will make the fish move and then they pounce. I knew I was middle aged when I began to enjoy watching birds and visiting gardens.” The image was shot manually in natural light with the Canon 5dMII and 70-200 f2.8 lens plus the 1.4 teleconverter. Focal length was 1, shutter speed 1/500, ISO 100 with evaluative metering. “Shadow Dancer” merited at 2016 TPPA and is part of the PPA 2016 Loan Collection.
