Life's lessons from wildlife.

One of the most challenging yet rewarding aspects of wildlife photography is to create expressive images that stimulate different emotional responses, particularly as they relate to our own experiences in everyday life.

Occasionally I experience this response as I am making the photograph, but quite often it isn't until I review and reflect on the images that this parallel is drawn.

"Take your time" should be the moral of this photograph.  I was at a local nature trail photographing the foggy landscape of the wetlands.  Wetland areas take on an entirely different look in the fog becoming very mysterious and somewhat haunting.  The usual flurry of bird activity is replaced by a deafening silence that heightens one's senses.  

I was just about to pack up an leave when I heard a faint noise in the distance.  It was too loud to be a bird or small animal.  I looked, and looked, yet saw nothing.  I decided to wait.  After several minutes, I saw a flicker of an ear.  A huge male deer emerged from the fog.  I was able to capture several images before he fled.  I call this image Stealth because big deer do not become big deer by exposing themselves in the open.  

I'm glad I waited that morning - I was rewarded with one of my favorite wildlife images.