Your Best Shot

I’ve had Charlie since he was a puppy and he’s been my rock throughout my 20s and 30s. Last year, I went through a breakup. I was depressed and spent a lot of time inside. To motivate myself to get out more, I created an Instagram for Charlie where I could document our adventures. Through Charlie, I’ve met other dog lovers in my area and found dog-friendly businesses to explore. It’s snowballed into this awesome community of animal lovers.

During a May visit to Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina, I spotted this barred owl sitting on a maple tree. The bird kept glancing at the shallow canal below and eventually swooped down and grabbed a crawfish from the water. I had only a few seconds to take the picture before the owl swallowed the crawfish. I don’t often have the opportunity to photograph barred owls, particularly in good light. A crawfish hanging from the bird’s beak was a real plus. A little while later, the owl caught another crawfish and went back to the maple tree to enjoy the meal.

Seeing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat with my wife, Wendy, was a longstanding bucket list item. In November 2018, Wendy and I traveled to Uganda and Rwanda to see these amazing animals firsthand. During our final trek, a group of gorillas left the safe confines of Volcanoes National Park and ventured into the adjacent agricultural fields to feast on eucalyptus trees. As we followed the group at a respectful distance, I noticed this silverback standing on a ridge. To my surprise, he stopped—covered in a chilling drizzle of mist—to survey the mountain forests of his natural environment behind him and the planted fields that had once been his natural habitat surrounding him. After contemplating the scene, he descended to his group.

As I stepped outside my house one June day, I saw a baby bird fly into a trash can then begin flying in circles. I went over to help and he was surprisingly calm as I picked him up. The other bird in the photo, presumably his parent, began to call out as I held him. While I was checking to see if the bird was OK, the parent flew over to feed their young. Afterward, I placed the baby bird on a branch and waited with my camera—and sure enough, the parent came back to feed him again. After taking the photo, I waited at a distance to make sure that the baby could fly in a straight line. He flew off with the other bird about 10 minutes later!