There’s an old adage that says, “It’s better to be lucky than good”. Certainly, this is frequently the case when pursuing photography. Sometimes, by chance, we just happen to be somewhere when something interesting is happening or just the right light is striking just the right subject. The only requirement on our part is to be observant enough to notice these unique encounters. I experienced just such a chance encounter recently. I was in Lubec, which is a small coastal village in the “downeast” Maine area where I live. A bald eagle was perched peacefully out on the end of a breakwater that juts into the channel that runs between Lubec and Campobello Island which lies in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. I walked slowly out on the breakwater snapping pictures of the posing eagle as I went. The sun was going down and I was rapidly losing my light. The above picture is the last one I took just before he flew away. He’s striking a perfect pose against a great background. The world around us still makes for the best studio.

“In wildness is the preservation of the world.”    Henry David Thoreau

One of the true gems of the “downeast” Maine area, in which I live, is the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. I’m fortunate to live just a few miles from its boundary and I frequently utilize its many roads and trails to go running, snowshoeing and hiking. It’s also a great location to search out photo opportunities. There’s abundant wildlife and numerous ponds and streams which provide endless settings for the nature photographer. It’s particularly appealing in the autumn when the fall colors are putting on their annual display. Now that the trees are bare and winter is once again knocking at the door, I thought I’d share some of the photos I’ve shot in the refuge over the last few months.

I photographed this group of loons during an early morning kayak venture on Bearce Lake, which is located within the wilderness area of the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. Other than the loons, I had the lake to myself and they seemed to not be bothered by my presence in the least bit.

Below are a few more shots I took while out trying to capture the autumn colors.