Wildlife and Animal Friends

One of the things I love most about living in Humboldt County is that the wildlife here doesn't feel like a special occasion — it's just part of the day. Roosevelt elk wandering through a meadow at Prairie Creek, a great grey owl sitting perfectly still in the middle of a field, starfish clustered in a tide pool at Houda Point as the sun goes down. You don't have to go looking very hard. You just have to slow down, pay attention, and have a camera ready, which, fortunately, I usually do.

This collection ranges from the wild and rugged — bald eagles, hawks, a kit fox portrait that I still can't quite believe I got — to the decidedly more pastoral, including horses, cows, a goat and a donkey watching a sunset together like they own the place, and Robert the Mini Horse, who absolutely knew he was being photographed and was completely fine with it. Whether the subject has feathers, fur, or is clinging to a rock in the surf, every animal in this collection caught my attention for a reason — and I hope they catch yours too.