Memorable Photo Moments

I know most likely everyone who loves to take photos has had moments where they wish they had their camera. With myself, going to the mountains and missing the Kodak moments because I didn’t bring a camera taught me a lesson, now I never go into the backwoods without one.

Most of my missed photo opportunities are related to the wildlife. Even with a camera, a wildlife encounter can happen and be over with before you can even think of taking a photo. But on occasion the timing is right, the moment is right, and it seems like Mother Nature pauses for a photograph. These are some of my memorable photo moments.

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I had been trying for a while to get a photo of a black bear on something besides a game camera. My method involved setting up game cameras to get a sense of the bear population in any given area. If I could find a good concentration with the game cameras then there is a good chance if I spend some time in the area I’ll have a photo op with a black bear.

I have had numerous accidental bear encounters and without fail the bears are always eager to put distance between myself and them. I’m not advocating approaching a black bear in the wild in any way, just describing what has been my experience and why being in bear country didn’t worry me too much.

A good friend of mine comes to West Virginia once a year or so to go camping. On this particular trip I decided to camp in a clearing that had an old road coming in one side and a game trail leaving the other side. Game cameras confirmed numerous bear on the trail in the weeks prior to the trip. I figured chances were good on seeing a bear.

We might have been at the campsite 15 minutes when my friend says casually, “there’s a bear.” I knew he was a little concerned about a possible encounter so when he said that so calmly, naturally, I thought he was joking. I’m facing the other way and when I turn around I see this 300-400 pound black bear about 75 yards away, just standing there looking at us.

Definitely not the best photo in the world but I had time for only one…

The next memorable moment has to do with an animal I hadn’t seen since I was a young boy and maybe only once or twice then.

As much as I love going into the woods to take photos, I love going to the river to take them just as much. In this case, Big Coal River.

I enjoy being at the river for the comfort. A lot of times I’ll find a nice secluded spot, which isn’t hard in West Virginia, and just sit and listen to the river. On this day I was sitting on a rock on the bank when out of the corner of my eye I see a shadow move on the other side of the river.

I sat there watching for a few minutes and I saw the shadow move again this time though I was looking right at it. The other side of the river was basically a small rock cliff that had been worn smooth by years of high water. The shadow I was seeing was navigating between the cracks in the rock keeping close to the waters edge.

I wasn’t carrying my camera but it was nearby on a four wheeler. I unpack it, go back to the river bank and on the other side standing there looking at me was a mink. Minks are nocturnal so seeing one out in broad daylight is a rarity. As dark as this guy is, you’d be lucky to see him anytime.

The last memorable photo moment, at least for this post, has to do with an animal I look forward to encountering… a fox.

Thru the years I’ve had a multitude of fox encounters from both the red and the grey, but only one while carrying a camera.

Usually when you do get a photo op of a wild animal, you don’t have very long to get your shot. That wasn’t the case here.

A neighbor had been telling me about these fox that had been coming out of a field next to his property and playing in his yard. Obviously the fox had a den in the heavy brush because it was the entire family coming out to play.

After he told me that, I was on a mission to get a photo of the fox. I set up about 30 feet from where a small game trail disappeared into the thicket. I assumed this was the trail they were using in and out and I assumed right. I wasn’t there long at all when this single fox comes up into the yard.

I was able to move within 20 feet of her and take multiple shots. As long as I kept my distance she was fine with my being there and seemed more curious than afraid.

In all three cases it was almost as if Mother Nature had paused for a photograph.