A Lifer-Photographing Nature

There was a time when I never imagined I'd sit… watch… wait… and wait some more for a bird to move, appear, or better yet, take flight.

Nature photography took me by surprise.

Those early mornings that once centered on watching the sunrise have become something more. Now I wonder, What wildlife will I find today? Or perhaps an even better question… What wildlife will find me?

I have found such peace and solitude in simply sitting and waiting. Thinking… dreaming… wondering… praying…

And then it happens.

A buck I had never seen before steps quietly into view. A cardinal sings at the top of his lungs from a nearby branch. And recently, a Yellow-crowned Night Heron appeared before me.

The moment a Yellow-crowned Night Heron lifted into flight, making his call…turning patience into gratitude.

You might say, "What's the big deal?"

I simply said, "Wow."

In the world of birding and wildlife photography, these moments are called lifers—seeing a species for the very first time, let alone the challenges of photographing or filming it.

But looking back, it wasn't really the lifer that filled me with gratitude.

It was everything that came with it.

The quiet.

The beauty.

The surprise.

The blessing.

The patience.

Every "lifer" has a story. This one now has a film. I hope you'll join me and experience the quiet beauty of this special moment.