Paint Pots & Mud Volcanoes - Yellowstone.
I don’t really have a lot to say about the Paint Pots or Mud Volcanoes but the first three images of the bull elk are what impacted me that day. Early morning we woke up to start making breakfast and only a few meters away, in the next campsite over, this massive bull elk was meandering through. I kept an eye on him while I grabbed my camera just to make sure no one else would scare him away or get too close. During this time it was quite comical watching the elk intrude a camper near by who was trying to pack up for the day. Casually the elk had moved between him and the rest of his camping gear with no regard for the task he was obstructing. After the elk moved on I slowly approached, while keeping a good distance, and took some photos of him as we both watched one another. The connection that occurred while knowing this elk was watching me as I created a photo of him was a little bit of a rush but also a moment I wish I had more frequently with wildlife.
Making an intentional connection with nature is something I yearn for. Knowing how to live mutually with the natural world is a part of our existence that is all too often overlooked and suppressed because of our default assumption to superiority over the world.
