SHOT FROM THE FILE

Up On Snowy Ridge Up on Snowy Ridge, the wind is full of bite Most creatures do not stir, so stay they out of sight And well for them they do, amongst the stormy howl For in the blustery murk, a presence there may prowl It moves with stealth and purpose, but is it really there … a ghostly apparition, or just a false affair? Up on Snowy Ridge, the tempest meets demise From the womb of Hell, a bold form does arise Its aura full of skookum, though some will find great flaw Yet wild things in wild places, live by sacred law Up on Snowy Ridge, the untamed Gray Wolf waits It stands for all that’s wild and free, will this remain its fate? ~ Poem and Gray Wolf capture, Up On Snowy Ridge © Jerry L. Ferrara

Just As The Light Passed Away   It was deep in the terminus of a clement day. The sun had retired from the haze-filled horizon but its faltering remains still dwelt in the landscape.      We moved without hurry. Our hope was for a glimpse at “something” in the dwindling crepuscular light. That “something” almost always seemed to appear just as aspirations waned.     As the path meandered this way and that, a stark visual presentation materialized against the monochromatic sky. Silently, a Great Horned Owl sat stoically in the barren branches of a tree…a perfect effigy of a predator in waiting. It was both a thrill and a fortunate moment, just as the light passed away.   ~ Anecdote and Great Horned Owl image, Just As The Light Passed Away © Jerry L. Ferrara

Walking On Water As the Arctic days passed, the ambient temperature plummeted and the water began to congeal. At times there was flexure to the liquid’s surface and it became a kind of rubbery platform. Some of the younger Polar Bears were able to successfully maneuver across the plastic medium without punching through. At times they appeared to be walking on water. ~ Anecdote and Polar Bear capture, Walking On Water © Jerry L. Ferrara

The Glint In Its Eye Recently I captured this handsome Bald Eagle [in portrait] while it keenly surveyed its surroundings for a salmon dinner. What I had not realized [until post-processing] was the glint in its eye, caught by the camera. ~ Anecdote and Bald Eagle capture, The Glint In Its Eye © Jerry L. Ferrara

The Sweep It tore through the maritime atmosphere like a bolt of lightning born from the vault of heaven. The creature’s flight speed was breakneck making framing the Steller’s Sea Eagle in the camera’s viewfinder a near-impossible task. As the powerful predator closed in on its unwitting target, the eagle’s position morphed and the geometry of the event became nearly perfect to my position. Lowering its robust legs and outstretched steely talons, the Sea Eagle effortlessly snatched the hapless fish from its watery abode. The fleeting incident was explosive and simply over in the blink of an eye. It was not until that evening, while viewing the day’s work on my laptop’s screen, that I realized I had made a capture that I have pursued unsuccessfully for years with our native Bald Eagle. Cradled within the borders of the image was the magnificent Steller’s Sea Eagle with a fish firmly clenched in its iron-tight claws, the tell-tale splash at the aft from where the quarry was plucked, a keenly determined stare blazing from the eagle’s eye and the part of the action that had always eluded me … one of the wing tips dragged through the water during a forward […]

Glancing Back Along the rocky shore of one of the Falkland Islands, a Rockhopper Penguin was caught glancing back during a pause in its “jumping journey”. It was hopping a route on an avenue of rocks back to its nest, deep in the lush bunch grass. ~ Anecdote and Rockhopper Penguin capture, Glancing Back © Jerry L. Ferrara

Contrast How we see and how we think isn’t always quite distinct. For often from a polar view reality does wax askew. We find that life is not steadfast. The journey’s rife with much contrast. Yet in this stark dichotomy, the general gist still there might be. ~ Poem and Bald Eagle capture, Contrast © Jerry L. Ferrara. From the book, Wild North Idaho: Season of the Eagle.

A Shower of Color The hills are aglow with a shower of color, for this time of year is unlike any other. The death of a pigment reveals what’s been hidden, a palette beneath for the eye to be smitten. But last long it does not, this earthy leaf show, for soon they will fall and lie deep beneath snow … and the evergreens remain. ~ Poem and Idaho scenic, A Shower of Color © Jerry L. Ferrara. From the book, Wild North Idaho: Photos and Reflections.

Breaking Trail At first the Muskrat was swimming from left-to-right across the field of view when it suddenly changed direction and swam directly into the lens. The Fall foliage reflected on the water’s surface struck a beautiful pattern along with the disturbance created by the rodent. The Muskrat was merely breaking trail. ~ Anecdote and Muskrat capture, Breaking Trail © Jerry L. Ferrara

Taking Off There were literally hundreds of birds in view that chilly morning in New Mexico a few years back, and I was finding it difficult isolating subjects to make an interesting composition. Then I noticed the body posture of this single Sandhill Crane. It was about to take flight. Moving a few feet to my left brought a better angle of view if the crane’s anticipated “take off” avenue was correct. I guessed right and caught the crane taking off. ~ Anecdote and Sandhill Crane capture, Taking Off © Jerry L. Ferrara