Jonge blauwe reigers in hun nest 1900 - 1930

Richard Tepe made this photo, Jonge blauwe reigers in hun nest, which translates to Young Blue Herons in their Nest, sometime between 1864 and 1952. It's a tiny black and white photograph, just 168 by 227 mm, which pulls you in close. Imagine Tepe, hiding out in the bushes, waiting for just the right moment to capture these little guys. He’s surrounded by the same mess of twigs as the herons. The nest itself is like a painter's canvas, a jumble of lines and textures, a real abstract expressionist sculpture. These little herons, they're like us, all scrunched together, trying to make sense of the world. They have this awkwardness, this vulnerability that's so endearing. Tepe lets us see that, lets us feel it. It’s like he’s saying, "Hey, we’re all just trying to figure it out, one messy nest at a time."