Petting the ponies at Assateague is illegal. This pony either wasn’t aware of the rule or didn’t care and wanted to test it! Not only did this pony come right up to me,  just inches away, but it followed me down the trail as I walked away after photographing it. Animals are truly amazing and sometimes they just tug at my heart! This one certainly did.

This particular day was extremely windy and overcast, which made for some very nice lighting. I appreciated these conditions since it  12:46pm, one of the worst times for photography. This just goes to show that you never know what might be possible at any time.

I often see the ponies at both Chincoteague and Assateague, but always have many more photo ops at Assateague. These truly are amazing animals and I can’t wait to be there to photograph them again!

Here are just three samples of photographs I captured over the last two months. These happen to all be from Chincoteague, Virginia. I had a blast down there in the beginning of January and can’t wait to get there again. There is so much wildlife!

I keep trying to expand my horizons, which I believe is important for all photographers and, well, for everyone actually. If we are just standing still  or treading water, where are we going? I want to become a better photographer, so I have to keep expanding my horizons and learning more each and every day.

Are you expanding your horizons?

I’ve been all over the place since December–Pigeon Forge (twice), Cades Cove, Chincoteague, Assateague, and more!

I will be posting photos very soon as I was able to take photographs on most of these trips and did some scouting, too. It’s been a whirlwind!

We live in a beautiful country here in America and God’s creation sure is a wonderful subject to photograph!

I was away on vacation; up in the mountains, in fact, when I received word that my dad died.

I immediately packed up a few essentials and traveled the three-hour trip to be with my mom, brother, and the rest of our family. That three-hour drive was therapeutic for me as I recollected past memories spent in the mountains with my dad. After all, it was my dad who showed me a true love for the mountains. This love for the mountains was passed down to me and then down to my son as well. Here is how I express it: “There is no place like the mountains.” Dad taught me this and spent a lot of time teaching me the mountain ways. I will forever be grateful!

Dad also enjoyed viewing the Pennsylvania elk. He found several antler sheds over the years. His proudest find was a matched set of 6x6s when he followed that bull for three days to get the matched antler. He always said, “I ate, drank, and slept with that bull for three days!” He also fed the elk at times when it used to be legal to do so. Later, as his life slowed down, he had a hard time understanding why it was illegal to feed the elk. I suppose it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks, but my dad really wasn’t all that old by today’s standards as he just turned 70 this past April.

Dad first saw the Pennsylvania elk in 1988 when he accompanied Perk Nye up to Benezette, PA. They were both in the vehicle when they first spotted their first elk and Perk yelled, “Caribou! Caribou!” because he was so excited that he misspoke their true identity. It wasn’t long afterward that Perk bought property on the Gilbert Farm. Then in 1990, on a tip from my dad, I purchased three properties on the old Winslow Farm, then known as the Busy-Bee Subdivision and now known as the Blue Sky Subdivision.

Dad spent many days and nights up on the elk range. He spent time there with my mom, Judy; his oldest brother, Lloyd; his younger brother, Dale; his youngest son, Dave; his grandchildren, Michael, James, and Lydia; and me. We shared many special times up in those mountains and created some mighty special memories! Dad taught me a lot of mountain and life lessons, but most of all he taught me to love the land, the mountains, and God’s Creation. It was these important lessons that prompted me to start photographing the elk much more seriously about four years ago. Dad always enjoyed seeing the photographs we produced because he loved the elk and enjoyed seeing them in all their glory.

Two weeks before his death, dad was up on the mountains with my brother,  his wife, and my mom. They had a great time together and dad enjoyed that weekend in the mountains seeing the elk. As everyone else was loading up the vehicle on Sunday to return home, dad was standing at the window in our camp crying. My mom asked him what was the matter. He said, “This will be the last time I will be in the mountains.”

He was correct. Perhaps he knew his time was growing short but none of us in the family knew it was going to be this quick. In the end, dad got his wish as he passed on to eternity in his sleep. He used to always say, “If I have the choice, I’d die in my sleep.” Dad passed peacefully which was his wish. Our family was surprised and a little shocked by his sudden passing, but we are comforted to know the faith dad taught us so well. We are only sad for our loss. We are very happy for dad’s new residence in heaven, where I imagine he is discovering some new and incredible mountains! He is probably making new mountain discoveries with Perk, my grandparents, and all those who have a love for the mountains.

I will certainly miss my dad; especially those special times we shared in the mountains during bear season, deer season, and on many other occasions throughout the years.

I will keep going to the mountains to cherish the memories my dad gave to me and I will keep photographing the Pennsylvania elk to the best of my ability to pass on the love of the elk that my dad passed down to me. The circle of life will keep on going–albeit with a few sad moments knowing my dad won’t be sharing these special times with me physically, but certain that one day we will roam the mountains of heaven together. I can’t wait for the lessons my dad will teach me then!

I like wildlife photography. Yep, I like it a lot! I actually like just about any kind of photography and I am currently active in sports photography, some musicals and plays, and a few other assignments as well. But given the choice, I will pick wildlife photography above all the others any day of the week!

Why?

Well, let’s see. First of all the subjects are beautiful, majestic, live in an awesome environment, and don’t talk back too much! That old saying is certainly true: “A bad day of wildlife photography is better than a good day at work.” But beyond the obvious, who could complain about spending a day outdoors in the beauty of God’s creation? Nature is absolutely spellbinding to observe and be a part of as a photographer. Even when our subjects do not cooperate or even show up, there is plenty of other things to observe and photograph. Landscapes are just one example, but smaller animals, insects, spider webs and more can be great alternative subjects.

Not that long ago, someone told me that you cannot be a wildlife photographer–it just doesn’t pay enough. I liken it to how most people honestly discourage youngsters away from professional sports, saying the odds of ever making it to the pros is just too big of an obstacle. Okay, there is no doubt that the chances are slim, but some people make it, don’t they? So why can’t you be that one?

I love it when people add their two cents, challenge me, and say, “You’ll never do that!” This happened to me at an early age and I’ve spent some quality time during my life proving people wrong! Maybe this is another reason why I like wildlife photograph–it is difficult and presents incredible challenges. I say, “Bring ‘em on!”

Another aspect of wildlife photography I enjoy is the classroom-learning I experience in the field. I learn far more out in the wild than I ever do from any book or seminar. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe in the power of books and I have a good library of them, too; but the observations and learnings I experience on my own outings are far more powerful.

Wildlife photography has also provided me with numerous new friendships and collegial relationships–much more than I could ever have imagined! The bond we have among us is second to none. I feel more kinship with other outdoor photographers than I do competition. Not everyone feels this way I suppose, but I actually enjoy seeing other’s perspectives and photographic eye. This not only helps me learn to see things differently, but reminds me that there is plenty of space for us all. I made some very good friends over the past few years, all because of my interest in wildlife photography. This is a huge reason why I like wildlife photography.

Lastly, my longtime belief that “there is no place like the mountains” is probably the number one driving force in my enjoyment for wildlife photography. I love the mountains, and spending time trying to photograph wild animals puts me in the greatest place on earth! When I am at work in my outdoor office it doesn’t feel like work at all!

These are just a few of the reasons why I like wildlife photography so much. I enjoy the challenges as well as the people and places wildlife photography brings to my life. I am a better person because of my involvement in wildlife photography and I truly hope that at least a few of my photographs can begin to adequately show just how special and amazing wildlife photography is to me!

This is a Pennsylvania bull elk. He is big but this is a different perspective from how I typically photograph these majestic animals.

This perspective takes in more of the surrounding environment where this bull roams. The foreground features a field of grass, which is turning to brown in the late fall when this photograph was captured. The background shows trees with just a hint of the changing color coming to the leaves.

The bull seems to be overshadowed by these surrounding elements and yet he appears to be just coming onto this scene. His majestic antlers are reflecting some of the light and they are huge!

What do you think of this different perspective?

This is a profile of a nice bull elk. I watched him for several hours one afternoon this fall. First he was feeding in a small field. Then he laid down to chew his cud. I took many photographs, went back to get my photo colleague, and returned to take more photos. It was an incredible site to say the least!

If you look closely at the top of this photograph you will see that this bull’s left antler is broken. It was broken most likely in a fight with another bull, and probably taking him out of contention with other competing bulls for the fall rut. Interestingly, he was accompanied by two cows earlier in the day but they wandered off in the middle of the afternoon. A bull with a broken antler is no match for a dominant bull and he knows it well.

Fights between bulls rarely are fights to the death, but broken antlers and punctures from antler tips are somewhat common. These bulls fight when they must and they fight hard. Capturing such a bull-fight is difficult with a camera for a variety of reasons. The aftermath of these fights are easier to photograph; like this broken bull profile.

Many photographers pack up their cameras and photo equipment when the sun gets high in the sky. This is understandable because the midday sunlight is often too harsh for good, quality photographs. However, some days provide excellent light even at midday.

This fall I was in the mountains of Elk County, Pennsylvania during a rainy week. It rained every day I was there! One afternoon I decided to take a walk. It was midday but it was cloudy. On my walk the clouds separated somewhat and the sunlight came pouring through. The light was absolutely beautiful!

Pay attention to the quality of light even at midday. Once in a while it will be okay to shoot photographs even when the sun is high in the sky.

I came across this bull elk after quite a hike. I heard some bulls bugling and did locate two of the three I heard, but it was far too thick with trees to capture any decent photographs. Somewhat rejected, I returned to a field I visited earlier in the afternoon. I was surprised to find two cows and this bull out in the field!

Elk can sometimes be predictable while other times they are completely unpredictable!

I was below this bull and set up my tripod carefully, hoping not to alarm or scare this guy. He just kept looking at me and studying every move. I was slow and deliberate and was able to capture this photograph and quite a few more. Eventually, he slowly stood up, reassessed his surroundings, and moseyed up the hill into the woods. Amazing! These mammals are absolutely amazing!

War of the Worlds was a book written by H.G. Wells. An adapted version of the story was broadcast on CBS radio in 1938. There were no commercials and as the story unfolded about Martians taking over, panic began to set in. Anxiety levels increased and pure panic was the result. The public reaction was hysteria and anger; sound familiar? Even Adolf Hitler cited the panic when he referred to the “evidence of the decadence and corrupt condition of democracy.”

The lesson learned in 1938 during Halloween was don’t fabricate a story and air it on the radio as news. Stick to reporting! I wonder if we need to relearn this lesson in 2011?

One could argue that even our modern day presidential elections are decided primarily on the basis of the actions of the media. What is reported and what it not reported? Why? The power of the media is well-known and sometimes abused. This power must be kept in check. Who is even allowed to question the media?

Recently Franco Harris took a different view on the firing of Coach Paterno from ESPN and the mainstream media. I heard one radio broadcaster completely lambast Franco Harris, basically calling him an idiot, just because he offered a different opinion. The mainstream mediaheads also cannot understand the reaction in State College among the students. Why? Because it is so foreign to their way of thinking/reporting? Who is right? Can anyone question the media and survive? Who in their right mind would ever want to run for president or head coach and have to face the media firestorm?

The media went after Coach Paterno and he was fired. Now the media is going after McQuery. Will they be satisfied then or will someone else be the next target? Is this truly the job of the media? What happened to basic reporting the facts? Of course, now ESPN would have us believe that poker is a sport. And then they have the audacity to criticize an athlete like Pete Rose who gambled on a sporting event? ESPN’s job should be to report the news, not create news. I guess they morphed into entertainment and sensationalism the same way the mainstream media did, too. Fair and balanced media is a lost art. Will it ever be rediscovered?

There’s an old song with these lyrics: “Momma said there’d be day’s like this, there’d be days like this, my momma said.”

I don’t think momma ever imagined the media in our country would become so powerful, so absolutely power-hungry, and so much different from what a journalist is supposed to do: report the news.

No, momma could never have dreamed there’d be days like this. And our country is all the worse for it, too. People blame our changing culture, the modern times, or point fingers at conservative or liberal leaders. Maybe we should blame media. We are going down a very dangerous path of not merely reporting the news but creating news, and it needs to stop!