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"Wapiti Portrait" “The Wapiti” is the Native American name for an Elk. It’s the second largest member of the deer family( after the Moose). An adult male elk can grow up to 5 feet tall at its shoulders, and can be over 1000 pounds. In a protected area, such as Jasper, they can often live for over 20 years. Only the bulls have antlers, which are grown and are shed yearly. Although I’m not a "wildlife photographer" (per se), I do enjoy the opportunities I do get to hone in on that skill. What I love about this photo it's warm morning glow and defused lighting which fills in the (normally), harsh shadows. That said, I was fortunate to capture this Elk in such magnificent lighting conditions. In my earlier years I was known as a studio photographer but today, I consider myself as a “generalist”, which means I'm not defined by any one type of photography (which gives me the freedom to explore).
This photo was taken at Bartlett Lake, a reservoir lake located north-east of Scottsdale and slightly north of Rio Verde, Arizona. Popular with anglers and campers, it’s quite unique lake with rugged mountains surrounding it and saguaros growing along its shoreline. A photographer has to be very persistent to get the shot they're envisioning. That said, because it was a 45 minute drive from my RV, I left in the darkness of night so that I’d be there for sunrise. I chose to go on this day because there was snow on the mountain tops but unfortunately the combination of cloud cover, rain and the (icy cold) winds made it impossible to get any kind of (clear) shot. Although I was disappointed by the grey and dreary sky, I did manage to get this shot, which I love because of the soft lighting.
I love abstract photography; those photo's that make you stop and then wonder, "What's that?" I'm always on the lookout for the absurd, the unique and the undefinable in everyday nature; it leaves me with a sense of curiosity and wonderment in all that I observe. The "art" in photography however is much more than capturing what I see; it's first in observing beyond a first glance and then composing it in an artistic manner. Have fun exploring, you too will find hidden artistic abstracts.
