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.

I intend for this to be a series of entries.  Here is the first one, and feel free to leave a comment with any thoughts that you may have.

Teamwork

Geese and other migratory birds fly in formation patterns to reduce drag (fatigue) that these birds inevitably experience during long flights.  The lead bird feels the full brunt of the oncoming wind while the others behind receive less drag, and as a result, formations of birds can fly significantly further while working as a team.  After a period of time, the lead bird drops to the rear of the formation and the second bird assumes the lead role.

Sometimes looking towards the natural world can emphasize the importance of working together to achieve a common goal.