You never know. A photographer friend and I were scouting the usual roadside areas around Algonquin Park when we chanced upon this mother and calf. It was Labour Day weekend, no one was seeing much wildlife – including us, and so we were glad to finally find something. We parked on the shoulder along with a few others that were already there and picked a spot to shoot from. I’ve learned the hard way to always try to get a shot ASAP in case my subject leaves. Once I’ve got something in the can, then I’ll take a look around and consider other vantage points and possibilities. But even when I move, I try to be ready to shoot because you can never predict what or when something will happen. I had just finished making such a location adjustment when the cow suddenly turned and looked down at her calf who then reached up for a little nuzzle. I held the trigger down and shot until they separated. If focus and exposure were good I knew I had a sweet moment. Then I looked for my friend to see how he faired. He didn’t. Unfortunately he had decided to move his car closer to where we were standing and missed it. Been there. Done that. Sure I’ll do it again – but not this time.
