The Blue Heron is an important bird for me to photograph. It is said to symbolize self-determination and independence.
The legs of the Heron are symbols of balance, and they represent an ability to progress and evolve. The long thin legs of the Heron reflect the idea that you don’t need great massive pillars to remain stable, but you must be able to stand on your own.
“The Great Heron” photograph is one of those rare turning points in the creative life. I
It is a special kind of photo, I sensed it the minute I took the shot.
It was made possible in part by a new and somewhat controversial art lens I am trying to learn to use. George Forss, my great friend and one of the most famous photographers and printing specialists in the world, has agreed to print up to 50 signed and limited edition copies of this print.
Maria has agreed to sell them online and also at our October Open House as part of her art show. we’ve already sold nearly half of the 50 photographs that will comprise this limited edition.
This morning, we met with George at his art gallery and saw the first small test print (above) of the 11 by 14 archival paper prints he is in the process of making. George has an amazing feel for photography and for art, he runs an art gallery in our town.
He said he didn’t want to touch up the photograph at all, he thought the colors worked extraordinarily well together and gave the picture a very different kind of feel.
He said the comparison people were making to Monet was very real. I am not about to compare myself to Monet, but I love the comparison.
George is the most gifted photographer I have ever met and his words are important to me. He said the photograph was “extraordinary” and that it was also perfectly composed. Praise always makes me nervous, but George is the real deal, I am in awe of him – he is a true genius and there is an otherwordly glow about this photograph that is exciting for me.
George’s photographs of New York City in the 1970’s and 80’s are breathtaking. Ansel Adams called him a genius.
So I’m very lucky to be collaborating with George and Maria on the prining and sale of this photograph. The photograph costs $110 collars plus shipping unframed. Maria is including the prints, if there are any left, in our Columbus Day Weekend Art Show.
I very rarely sell photographs, I would rather give them away online, but this time, I thought the photograph was very special, and I also wanted to raise some money for our trip to New Mexico in October, our first real vacation. I was mesmerized by the Blue Heron, one of the most beautiful birds I have ever seen.
But the photograph is more than that, as it happens.
I took it with a new and very different art lens called the Daguerrotype Achromat 2.9/64 Art Lens, built on the model of the first optical lens every used in photography. It is a challenging lens, there are no electronics, no auto focus or image stabilizer. Some people loved the lens, many people didn’t. Older people especially wrote to say the softer focus it reminded them of their own struggling eyesight.
I love the idea of using the world’s first optical lens to take some photographs, the lens softens the colors and has a sort of magical feeling to it.
I head from a number of self-described “older” people who said they didn’t care for the lens because it created a soft focus. The world is a fascinating place, I am an older person – I turned 70 a few weeks ago – and this is one of the most special pictures I have ever taken. And I love the softer focus.
The lens has its own mind, and I took 20 different shots of the Blue Heron before he (or she) got sick of me and flew away.
We are committed to the 50 print limit, George says he will have prints ready for shipping in about two weeks. If anyone reading this is interested, you can e-mail Maria at [email protected]. And thanks.
The Blue Heron now has some mystical meaning for me, I have never taken a picture that sold so quickly to so many people.
In the book “Animal Speak,” Author Ted Andrews writes that the ability of the Heron to stand in water on those thin legs enables them to follow their own path. Most people will never be able to live the way heron people do It is not a structured way, and does not seem to have a stability and security to it.
Security is, though, a matter of perspective. There is security in heron medicine, for it gives the ability to do a variety of tasks. If one way doesn’t work, then another will. This something that heron people seem to inherently know.
I didn’t know there were heron people, or that I was one of them. But it seems that I am. I’m grateful to have caught this image, lots of luck involved there, and happy to sell it.
It has already helped to bless our trip to New Mexico, I can feel it.