Local Outdoor Photography Spots Near Omaha: Heron Haven

Local Outdoor Photography Spots Near Omaha: Heron Haven

Photos and words by Jerred Zegelis

Heron Haven is a local treasure, nestled beside a busy intersection at 120th and Maple. The place is fairly small, but don’t let that trick you. It’s a photographic wonderland for those looking to photograph herons, egrets, frogs, muskrats, snakes, turtles (including snappers), local birds and a variety of flowers and plants from their incredibly well maintained caterpillar and butterfly gardens.

If you’re a photographer with a family, this is a fantastic place to visit! The kids can try to count the frogs in the water while you take out your camera and capture the beauty around you.

Here are a few tips for getting the most out of the experience:

Tip 1 Bring a telephoto lens for the egrets and birds.

While the boardwalk is fantastic to get you views of the water and the egrets looking for fish, they are often well beyond the reach of a standard lens. We recommend anything 400mm or beyond.

This photo was captured with a 400mm perspective:

Squirrel at Heron Haven by Jerred Zegelis


This photo was taken with a 600mm f/11 from Canon:

Image of a Heron Fishing by Jerred Zegelis

Tip 2 - For the butterfly and caterpillar gardens, a macro lens is a fantastic way to capture unique views of nature!

 

This photo was taken with the Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 macro:

Butterfly Macro by Jerred Zegelis

 

This photo was taken with the Fuji 100mm f/2.8 Macro:

Insect at Heron Haven by Jerred Zegelis

 

Tip 3 - Don’t forget to look up and down for arrangements of leaves in nature.

These shots were taken at Heron Haven, and while they could be taken at almost any park in Omaha or Nebraska, it’s still a good reminder to look for beauty no matter where you are!

Fall leaves at Heron Haven by Jerred Zegelis

Fall leaves at Heron Haven by Jerred Zegelis

 

Planning a trip to Heron Haven but not sure what lens to use? Think about renting something different from our catalog of lenses, and bring your gear into the store to ask for advice from our photo experts who are here to help you get the most out of your photographic journeys.

Want to check out more places to photograph in the area? Check out our list of Local Outdoor Photography Spots | Omaha and Lincoln

 

For more information about local photographer, Jerred Zegelis and to see his work, visit his website - https://jerredz.com/about/

Take a class with us at Rockbrook Camera EDU, check out our class calendar!

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