Intuitive Wildlife Photography

New lessons from Bison.

I'm not gonna lie - it's been an incredibly emotionally challenging 10 days that's had me trying not to hyperventilate and begging for life to just be easier more times than I can count.

This thought arrived like a gift whispered on the wind and reminded me of the wisdom of Bison. What if, instead of asking for the terrain to be easier, I became strong enough to navigate it more easily? That one simple shift gave me the smallest little glimmer of hope. Life is never going to be easy - it wasn't meant to be. Sure, there are seasons and cycles that may be easier, but ultimately, if life were truly easy all the time we would all grow stagnant and atrophy. There would be no sense of accomplishment, no pride in navigating hard seasons and doing the seemingly impossible. Just as you cannot see the stars except during the dark of night, you cannot grow without challenge.

Now I'm not saying that all of life should challenge us - we all need seasons of rest, too. But this one shift in perspective allowed me to move from feeling like a victim of life's circumstances to having the empowered choice of intentional growth.

For Bison, there are seasons of challenge and seasons of ease, too. The peace and quiet of Winter with the challenge of finding enough food, the beauty and hardship of bringing new life into the world that comes with Spring, the intense battles of the Summer rut, the and the calmer days of Autumn meant to store up before Winter comes again. But through it all, Bison exhibit the courage and resilience to rise to meet each challenge and the will to overcome them. And, whether win or lose, the determination to try is the biggest part of success.

Happy Monday, and may the strength, resilience, and determination of the Bison give you the will to rise to the challenge.

Close your eyes and imagine this with me:
(ok maybe read this first and then close your eyes):

It’s still dark when you zip your parka. The air is so cold your breath turns to clouds. Somewhere out in that blue‑grey light, a fox is already on the move.

We head out early, not to collect shots, but to follow the natural rhythms of Wildlife. Some mornings it’s Bison shrouded in the steam of geysers. Other times it's Coyotes mousing in the Snow, or Ravens dancing on the Wind.

We follow what Nature offers, not some rigid checklist. There are breaks for snacks, bathrooms, and to thaw cold fingers on warm drinks. Teaching and learning are woven into every moment and every encounter - how to read light on Snow, adjust your settings quickly, and stay ethical and grounded even when your heart is pounding.

Evenings are slower. We warm up, share images, troubleshoot together, and talk about what it means to treat Wildlife as kin, not trophies. No question is dumb, everyone is honoured for their curiosity and openness to grow.

If your wild heart is warmed reading this, you can explore the upcoming Yellowstone Winter experience and see if it feels right for you: link in bio.

What part of a day like this feels most magical to you?

If your brain has ever completely blanked the moment something exciting happens in front of your lens… you are so, SO not alone.

Wildlife photography asks a LOT of our nervous systems: new settings, quick decisions, unpredictable subjects, cold fingers, wondering if other people are watching and judging us... No wonder something meant to bring peace can feel overwhelming instead!

Here are few gentle ways to make learning feel more accessible:

1. One setting at a time.
For a while, let your “project” be just ONE setting - shutter speed, aperture, OR ISO. Not all three at once. Mastery is just many tiny focuses stacked together. I recommend starting with shutter speed for Wildlife. So put your camera in shutter/time priority and let the camera do the heavy lifting for the other two settings. A good place to start for shutter speed is 1/800" for Mammals and 1/1200" for Birds. Then adjust as needed.

2. A 10‑minute ritual.
Once a week, give yourself 10 minutes to simply play with your camera - on your porch, in your yard, at a park. No pressure to make anything “good.” Just experimenting and seeing what happens.

3. Ask the questions.
You deserve rooms (and trips) where no question is 'stupid' and nobody rolls their eyes when you ask it. If you're scared to ask questions in the spaces you're in, it's not a you problem, it's a wrong space for you problem.

Your love for Wildlife matters more than having it all memorized.

What’s one tiny thing you’d like to feel more confident about with your camera right now?

It's no secret that spending time in the wild is therapeutic. It's something we as humans are hardwired to need, and it benefits our health - mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual - in numerous ways. It's also no secret that a mindfulness practice can help decrease stress and increase joy in our lives.

Wildlife photography is a journey where we're regularly immersed in the wild and presented with so many opportunities to experience awe. But it's all too easy to be so singly focused on getting 'the shot' that we miss the wonder that's all around us.

So I wanted to share some tips to evolve your Wildlife photography journey into a mindfulness practice as well.

Let me know in the comments which one(s) resonate most with you and how you make the most of your time spent with Nature.