David Bowie’s photograph of a great blue heron in flight is the Best of Show in a contest sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Bowie, a Parkersburg native who was a photographer for The Parkersburg News, shot the photo in May at the Adams Lake State Park near West Union, Ohio. The photograph was on display at the Ohio State Fair and will be featured in the department’s “Wild Ohio Magazine.” (Photo Provided)

A photograph of a great blue heron by a Parkersburg native was judged Best in Show in an annual Ohio Department of Natural Resource photo contest.

David Bowie’s photograph of the heron in flight is on display at the Ohio State Fair and will be featured in the ODNR “Wild Ohio Magazine.”

Bowie, of West Union, Ohio, who was a photographer for The Parkersburg News and Sentinel, shot the photograph in early May at Adams County Lake State Park just outside of West Union using a Nikon D500 with a 200-500 mm lens at F5.6 and 1/1,250 of a second.

The bird is in flight with its reflection in the water below. It was chosen from more than 1,700 entries in the contest.

“Somebody sent me the information about the contest and said ‘You ought to get in on this,'” Bowie said.

David Bowie poses with his photographic gear. His photo of a great blue heron in flight with its reflection in the water below was judged best of show in a contest by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The former resident of Parkersburg resides in West Union, Ohio, with his wife, Nicole. (Photo Provided)

Comments about the photograph have been positive, so much so Bowie will make the prints of the original available for sale. He has already printed the photo on canvas that hangs in his living room.

Bowie is the son of Jim and Jeannette Bowie of Parkersburg.

He left the newspaper business more than 20 years ago to become a law enforcement investigator. Today he is a custom pistol smith, fitness trainer and owner of Bowie Tactical Concepts in West Union.

After a hiatus from photography, his interest was rekindled when his wife, Nicole, bought him a camera.

“The old passion to take pictures started to bite me again,” Bowie said.

Nary a day goes by that Bowie doesn’t photograph something.

His avocation has grown and he also is the proprietor of Full Exposure Photography, which specializes in what he calls boudoir photos of women in their lingerie.

“Pictures women like to give to their husbands or boyfriends,” he said.

Bowie said his “beautiful wife” encouraged him to do boudoir photos.

“She’s actually the one who pushed me in that direction,” Bowie said.