Sometimes you don’t find wildlife but find something better. The lack of rain and long sunny days of summer can make for some dusty trail rides. As the day was ending, the light was low, and I noticed the long shadows being cast through the dust over the ranch guests as they made their way back to the barn. I was only able to grab a few shots through the trees, but it only takes one. Grand Teton National Park.

While looking for wildlife in the Great Smoky Mountains, I found this family of Black Bears napping in the forks of two trees. Momma Bear always had an eye open, but I moved slowly to capture this COY (cub of the year) as he awoke.

A Trumpeter Swan taking flight after I surprised him while scouting for ducks in Kansas. Always take the camera along because you never know what’s just over the pond bank.

While filming turkeys on a private ranch in South Texas, this group of Rio Toms lined up to show their lady friend what they had to offer.

Waiting for the last light to fall over the Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. A long two-hour drive back in the dark, but I think it was worth the wait.

When you see one, there is usually two. On this chilly fall morning in the Tetons National Park, I saw a nice Mule Deer Buck. As I made my way through the snow and sagebrush, I picked up movement, and there were nine bucks total. I followed these two with the camera lens until they gave me the shot. Pretty sure they got a scent of my coffee breath once they got downwind of me.

While guiding in Yellowstone in the winter, you never know if you’ll see a wolf, so you're always scanning. I stumbled onto the Wapiti pack, and this was one of many images I captured in -26° just before a new storm blew in.

While moving along the riverbank searching for otters, beavers, foxes, moose, mule deer, and such, I remembered to look up and caught this mature Bald Eagle as he took flight. A reminder to always keep your head on a swivel.

This sub-adult grizzly was playing in the first heavy September snow of the season in the Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming. Neither of us saw that coming, but he was sure having a good time and didn’t care that I was around. Gotta love the 600mm lens for days like this. I had three buddies with me with bear spray just in case he decided he wanted to play with me.

After chasing wildlife, you switch over to chasing the light. As the sun set over the Teton Mountains, I switched from the long lens to the wide-angle and ran to the water’s edge just in time. All by myself that night made it even more spectacular.