Scenes from the river....

There are times when you just get in too deep....

Gotta stick the landing!

This is what they look like when they go after the fish!

And after...

A little fluff up and everything falls back into place!

Heron #3...
Fish #3...

Heron #4...
Fish #4...

Workin' a double...

And yes....

The best is saved for last!

Heron #6...
Fish #6...

Now that's what we call a FISH!!!

You will NOT get away!

I can't even comprehend how they swallow them!

The last heron was at my "lucky rock".

Four years at the river...
And watching that rock rarely lets me down.

2010
2011
2013

As always, thanks for looking!
Karen

What a wonderful series of photos.

Good grief, Karen, what amazing shots, especially the last one with that huge fish. Mind you, I always feel for the fish. Not a very nice end.

What a party, you did a terrific job, Karen. Did you see the herons rinse their beaks after each meal? they do it here. And a fluff, of course. Love the Osprey in flight, the wingspan is incredible.

Awesome series!!!!

Karen---those are amazing pictures--and having them in a series of catch...stab...turn...swallow
makes them VERY valuable.....

Have you thought of approaching a Nature magazine of some sort that would pay you for these shots?
Or maybe a Fisherman's publication of some kind? Wildlife Federation?

Do not sell yourself short---there's $$$$ to be had with pictures like these....and--YOU OWN THEM!!!!

Great job!!!! Gita

Karen, I know I wrote to you yesterday and told you what wonderful pictures they were and suggested you put them on a page on Pinterest and people can then repin them. It is great fun to see perfect strangers pinning your pictures. If you decide not to do that, could I have permission to put some on a page in my Pinterest? I think they are just perfect and I know Gita has a great idea there. Let me know what you decide, they are not just going to sit here and do nothing. They need to be shared. LOL. Wow, what a thrill to see those wonderful birds in action. JB

Thank you all very much for the nice comments! I am glad I can share here with you. It is a great blessing to see these magnificent birds in action, and sometimes I just sit in awe and forget I have a camera! LOL!

Gita, and JB, I appreciate what you are saying about marketing and it has been suggested before. At this time, I simply do not have time to pursue it. Someone asked if I make my living at this.... heavens no! I wish! But no, I still have to go to a job several days a week!

JB, where did you write to me? I can find no private d-mail from you, nor have I received any emails. I don't have a Pinterest account and have no time to set one up. You may use the photos on your page with my credit please.

I will say there are many, many unscrupulous people out there that steal others' photos and take credit for themselves. There are copyright laws out there that are supposed to protect the owners of the photos, but until you find your photos being used on the 'net, it is difficult to catch. This is the reason I downsize all my photos, and limit where I post. I know some photographers that splash their copyright over the entire image, but that is very deterring... which is obviously their goal... but they are only wanting to make money on their images, and not simply share their gift.

I still submit photos to some of the big photo contests, and I have shown my work at the F'burg Photography Show with some success. But it is a lot of work and expense to mat and mount photos! Then I end up with a big stack of photos at the end with no place to use them.

My talent has grown, as well as my knowledge, and I guess I have the "maybe one day" attitude.... but first and foremost, I give God the credit, and each day I look to Him and say, "In Your service..."

Thanks again and have a blessed weekend!
I am sure there will still be some more to follow!
Karen

Karen, I will do an entire page on Pinterest of just your Down by the River shots. Tell me what you want me to call it and how you want your name to appear. I will also at the top of the page mention I am doing this for you and all the photos in that page have only been those taken by you and belong to you. Now having said that, people will re pin them and they will be seen all over the world of Pinterest. This will have to do until you have time to set up your own and then I will close mine down if you want me to. Let me know so I can work on it over the weekend.

I have no idea where that post went to. It is gone. I know I wrote it because I was waiting for a reply. Spooky huh?????? I need: YOUR NAME AS YOU WANT IT TO APPEAR AND
A TITLE FOR THE PAGE.

Karen Allen
Wild Rose Images

Gotcha...I will report in when it is finished. thanks.

Karen--

My cousin, Maija, also does good photography, and she makes greeting cards out of them.
I guess she buys the blank card. and it has little slots cut into the corners so you can insert your photo.
On the bottom, just under the little slot she has her name. Just "Maija"...
The inside is blank--so people can use them for whatever.

She gives us all packs of 6 of these cards for Christmas. Otherwise--I believe she sells them for $3.
Pretty cheap for original photography. Of course, some cropping is required--if you wish.

Just another suggestion for making some money. I bet all this may be available on-line.
The blank cards and envelopes, that is....Look into it???

Gita

Karen, thanks again for sharing.
And absolutely agree you are right to only post downsized pics. Even at that they are crystal clear and gorgeous. It is kind of a shame that digital sharing makes it easy for anyone to use free images and the creator of the photo will never get any $ gain from that.

I agree -- Karen, your photos are stunning. Maybe just call Audubon?

Karen and all,

Think positive, if people see your name associated with those photos, who knows, you may get a call from someone who wants some shots taken. I was in Public Relations and Advertising for many years. It can happen, honest. JB

Take a look at the Pinterest Board dedicated to Wild Rose Images, Photos by Karen Allen.

http://pinterest.com/JBsPlants/wild-rose-images/

There is 22 pictures so far and I am hoping to add to the board anytime Karen gives me permission and more pictures. I hope you all enjoy them as much as I did putting them up.

This is such a fun place to visit because most of the pins on all the boards are things that make people happy. We need that sort of thing in this wild world today.

Have a great day and Thanks Karen for permitting me to share the photos with the public.
JB

Thank you JB! I think this looks great!
When I have more time this weekend, I am going to set up a Pinterest account just so I can share ita,

You are welcome. I just love it. People are pinning it too. Which means people are looking.

Karen, I just checked and 26 people have pinned and 20 people are following it to wait for more pins. LOL Great since it has only been up since yesterday and during the week is not a great time for pinning.

:o)