Before my trip to Grand Teton National Park with my mom this past summer, I had never seen elk in the wild. Because of this, I of course wanted to get at least a glimpse of a faun in a field. Little did I know that my expectations would be blown out of the water when we were out driving along Teton Park Road at 4:30 a.m. looking for any early rising critters. While scanning the open lands on either side, my heart jumped when I spotted three bull elk grazing out in a field to our right side. Because there was little to no light at 4:30 in the morning, I rested my camera on a beanbag on the window and slowed my shutter to 1/50 sec. I shot off over 50 photos, while watching the elks' movement to ensure they were standing completely still. Then, in one perfect moment, I captured all three elk gazing directly at me, framed by the soft morning fog and the towering Teton range behind them. It’s a moment I’ll cherish forever, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have preserved it through my lens!
