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HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY


HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
Photo Information
Copyright: Evelynn Smith (Evelynn) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1974 W: 689 N: 2800] (12501)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-05-10
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 30D, Canon 300mm f2.8 + 1.4 extender
Exposure: f/8, 1/1250 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-05-13 11:25
Viewed: 601
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 50
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This blue heron and mate have been returning to the same nest for the past 5 years. It has been fun watching the family this year... particularly now that we have good enough equipment to photograph them.
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In the U.S. Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May...that's today. The idea for a mother's day can be traced far back in history and the idea for an American Mother's Day probably came from England.


ORIGINS OF THE AMERICAN MOTHER'S DAY HOLIDAY

In the United States, Mother's Day was copied from England by social activist Julia Ward Howe after the American Civil War. Howe wrote the Mother's Day Proclamation in 1870, as a call for peace and disarmament. An excerpt follows:

"From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe out dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace..

Howe failed in her attempt to get formal recognition of a Mother's Day for Peace. Her idea was influenced by Anna Reeve Jarvis[citation needed], a young West Virginia homemaker who, starting in 1858, had attempted to improve sanitation through what she called Mothers' Work Days. She organized women throughout the Civil War to work for better sanitary conditions for both sides, and in 1868 she began work to reconcile Union and Confederate neighbors.


When Jarvis died, her daughter, named Anna Jarvis, started the crusade to found a memorial day for women. The first such Mother's Day was celebrated in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908, in the Andrews Methodist Episcopal (now United Methodist) Church where the elder Ann Jarvis had taught Sunday School. Grafton is the home to the International Mother's Day Shrine. The 1912 General Conference of The Methodist Episcopal Church, at the suggestion of delegates from Andrews M.E. Church, recognized Jarvis as the founder and advocated the celebration of the holiday. From there, the custom caught on — spreading eventually to 45 states. The holiday was declared officially by some states beginning in 1912. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother's Day, as a day for American citizens to show the flag in honour of those mothers whose sons had died in war. Nine years after the first official Mother's Day holiday, commercialization of the U.S. holiday became so rampant that Anna Jarvis herself became a major opponent of what the holiday had become. Mother's Day continues to this day to be one of the most commercially successful U.S. holidays.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother's_Day
JoseMiguel, Jamesp, garyfudge, jaycee, kristies, wallhalla15, Argus, MMM, Juyona, glazzaro, deblink, eqshannon, Maite, Ken52, Silvio2006, oscarromulus, coasties has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To garyfudge: Thanks for the critiqueEvelynn 6 05-13 18:34
To kristies: Thanks for the critiqueEvelynn 1 05-13 14:19
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Evelynn,
A thoughtful presentation for this special day!
I like the radial sense of the picture, with all the branches leaving form the nest, as the focal point.
Even the extended neck of the heron contributes to that effect.
Great capture with the beautiful blue sky as background.
Congratulations and thanks for share it.
My best regards,
JM

  • Great 
  • pirate Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 450 W: 100 N: 572] (2879)
  • [2007-05-13 11:29]

Great compo, wonderfull sky and perfectly sharp eye

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1251 W: 0 N: 4829] (14332)
  • [2007-05-13 11:38]

Hi Evelyn

Great composition - the pose, DOF and colours are all wonderful. I also like the 'starburst' effect of the branches.

We celebrate Mother's Day in March in the UK - we are always different!

James

Hi Evelynn,

What an aptly chosen picture! She's having a bad hair day! :-) I love it. Very well done.

Jan-Hendrik

I find them so ugly birds... but so photogenic..

Good catch !

TFS Greetz Kristy

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1681 W: 242 N: 5550] (19643)
  • [2007-05-13 12:20]

Hi Evelynn,
this is a superb shot of this Heron.
Detailed and sharp.
Well done,
Joey

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2596 W: 133 N: 7433] (23169)
  • [2007-05-13 13:15]

Hello Evelyn,
Great capture of a nest scene: a Great Blue Heron parent attending its chick. This is well composed against a fine blue sky with excellent lighting, though some might prefer an off-center composition with more space to the left.
To title it in honor of Mother's Day is very appropriate and can lead to thoughts that in this epok of human dominance on the planet one might spare a thought for mothers of other species.
Thanks for sharing this one,
Best wishes, Ivan

Hi Evelynn,
even though it's not Mothers' Day here, it's still a great shot.

You've done well to expose the shot so well against the lovely clear sky.

Tut, tut! You failed to mention that we've all copied each other. Julia Ward Howe was of course a very famous American activist (thanks Evelynn & wiki!), and we've celebrated Mothering Sunday formally since at least the 1600s, but then again we only copied the Romans and Greeks, who probably copied the Egyptians and Chinese!

And you an ex-school teacher too!

Gary

Congrats Evelynn, this is a great shot. I love it.
Great moment you captured here. Great sharpness, framing and POV. Natural colours and great bg. This is great composition. Thank you.
Gr.
Heinz

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 751 W: 0 N: 1506] (6872)
  • [2007-05-13 16:59]

hi Evelynn
Congradulation ,that is a wonderful capture.Beautiful composition and extremely sharp image .Perfect BG color for the sky.
TFS Michel

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2036 W: 6 N: 2017] (13253)
  • [2007-05-13 18:01]

Perfecto trabajo Evelynn,
bello mensaje y compo preciosa,
saludos amiga,

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-05-13 21:13]

Hello Evelynn

Ah you have posted my old nemesis, I love the capture of mum with junior.Wonderful blue sky and excellent POV.Well focused with sharp details.I have been chasing this bird for a long time trying to get a worthy shot.This is super.The herons around here have a built in arfer alert system,either that or eyes in the backs of their heads.Wonderful shot.TFS

Rob

Excellent shot, can't wait to see you get a shot of the off spring! ;)

Greg

Hi Evelynn,
A lovely tribute to all us mothers, thank you. How beautiful is this photo. The birds look just wonderful against the magnificent blue of the sky. I love their little fluffy caps. Excellent quality yet again. Wonderful.
Cheers,
Debbie

What a wonderful theme!!! With the notes, this is an excellent tribute to Mothers Day.

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3069 W: 231 N: 5857] (19698)
  • [2007-05-14 10:25]

What a apt post for Mother's Day, Evelynn.
It is so cute and so funny, with that little head sticking out.
The parent's long outstretched neck is quite impressive and looks very protective.
A great moment caught and presented in an excellent composition.
I love the nest in the midst of all these radiating branches.
TFS. ; )

  • Great 
  • Maite Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 979 W: 64 N: 1189] (4888)
  • [2007-05-14 18:05]

Hi Evelynn
What a marvellous capture and wonderful card to celebrate the Mother's Day! And what an interesting note about it!!
Here in Spain the Mother's day is celebrated the first Sunday in May.
Great shot of this beautiful black heron and its beautiful baby!
Congratulations and TFS.
Maite

Hi Evelynn,
what a neat looking capture this is, as I have never seen these birds nesting let alone in a tree.You have good details in this shot and the focus and colour are good.I only wish you could get in a little closer but that is something only the bird can determine.Very suitable upload for mom's day and thank you for showing it off to us all. Bob

  • Great 
  • Ken52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 663 W: 98 N: 1260] (4179)
  • [2007-05-15 1:02]

What a nice Mother's Day post. Very rich and beautiful colors, nice exposure, and excellent focus. Composition is excellent. This is a great nature shot because it shows the herons in a very natural setting. I have seen lots of herons, but I cannot find a nest.

Hi Evelynn, lovely dedication for mother day, splendid Heron's nest with wonderful colors and splendid details, very well done, ciao Silvio

Evelynn,
Love your notes.
Another ORIGINAL. Am highly impressed with the sharpness,and details.
Great B/G too.
Best regards,
Mario.

Hi Evelyn

This is awesome! What a great sight. Congrats! :-)

Hi Evelynn,
What an opportunity to get a shot of mom and baby so close to mothers days. They look so good on that nice blue background with very nice details. :)

Hi Evelynn!
Fantastic shot! Great POV, excellent colors and light, perfect composition. Brawo!
regards
Dorota

great to see the same nest in different hour, TFS Ori

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