Patience

A famous wildlife photographer taught me a valuable lesson a couple of years ago – know the behavior of your subject so you can anticipate where it will go and what it will do. Last fall I had the opportunity to put this advice into practice. I was in Rocky Mountain National Park during the fall rut. It had been an awesome morning and I was looking for additional bull elk to photograph. As I scoured the horizon, I heard a bull bugling off in the distance. I continued to watch and saw he was walking with a purpose towards where I was standing. A small hill separated him from the open meadow where other bulls were vying for the attention of the many cows that were there. If he continued on the same path, he would come up the rise of the hill and emerge with fir trees in the background. I continued to wait, and he disappeared behind the hill. There were other photographers nearby but none were standing where I was and none were looking in the same direction. Would he continue up the ridge or would he head in a different direction? After about five minutes my patience paid off and he came up the rise just where I was hoping he would. Had I ignored the photographer’s advice I would not have gotten this image. The bull came up the hill, gave me many fine shots and an encounter that is seared in my memory. Thanks for sharing your wisdom, Moose!

 

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