Now as free as a bird, a retired Seattle Times reporter branches into nature photography

Photographer: Jack Broom

Photo taken: Jan. 6, 2021, at Juanita Bay Park in Kirkland

Photographer’s description: “I watched this great blue heron at Kirkland’s Juanita Bay Park for half an hour before the bird decided to lift its wings and offer a sense of action. I took this with a Canon 5D Mark IV with a Tamron 150-600 mm F/5-6.3 G2 lens.”

Critique: “First, let me say it feels mighty strange to write any sort of critique for the legendary, retired Seattle Times reporter Jack Broom (full disclosure: Yours truly has known Jack for 21 years). All that being said, I love this photo and appreciate the patience required to make it. The focus and exposure are perfect, and I like how the background is blurred and muted so our subject stands out. Thanks for sharing, Jack. Nice to see your name in print again.”

Below is a gallery of previous Reader’s Lens picks. Share your recent photo from around the Northwest. Submit online at seattletimes.com/submit-photos. Our favorite will appear in this spot next week. We judge the year’s best and award prizes in December.