Since starting this nomadic journey almost 3 years ago I have graduated from professional animal stalker to amateur animal photographer. My goal is to one day become a professional animal photographer but that means years of classes and sifting through thousands of my blurry photographs and allowing my husband to analyze them without me getting angry. I’ll get there though. I have the passion and the drive and I love animals… from a distance. Up close I get scared and edgy. This is why I love taking pictures of animals and wildlife. Over the next few years I will invest in better equipment and proper training to take amazing pictures. Here are a few of my favorite places in the USA to view fantastic wildlife.
Bayou Basking
5 The Louisiana Bayou
The Louisiana Bayou is teeming with wildlife. From alligators to birds to cute raccoons, there is always something moving in the shallow waters to capture in photographs.
Sassy Raccoon
4 Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City and the surrounding areas will always have a special place in my heart. This space has held so many firsts for me. First time I saw a chipmunk, first time I saw bison, first time I saw big horned sheep and mountain goats and also the first time I saw prairie dogs…many, many prairie dogs.
Chipmunk of Custer State Park
Prairie Dog
3 Pocahontas County, West Virginia
I spent a few months in Pocahontas County, WV and it was not really what I expected. Kenin and I chose West Virginia to take a break and get some work done, but it turned out to be so beautiful and full of wildlife that we went out almost every single day. It was an amateur photographers dream. I even saw a bear and being an amateur, didn’t have a camera with me so was subjected to sprinting with my cellphone to capture this shot.
Bert McTeddy
Baby Bambi
2 Crystal River, Florida
Crystal River, Florida was a short weekend getaway for me. I must re-visit soon though. There was so much to see and do. We even had the opportunity to swim with manatees in the wild. It was amazing. You can’t touch them (it’s against the law) but sometimes you get lucky and one of them will swim right up to you. Wildlife (and not so wild) was everywhere to be found in Crystal River.
Manatee in Florida
Cute Florida Squirrel
1 Alaska – Yes, the entire state of Alaska
This was our first real road trip after starting our blog. It was 60 days from Key West, FL to Deadhorse, AK and back. We saw reindeer, musk ox, many foxes, mink, and too many bald eagles to count. Look at how terrible these photos are. I am pretty ashamed of them really, but this goes to show what a long way Kenin and I have come in taking pictures. I say we need a do-over so we can use our new gear and our new skills. Who’s up for a road trip?
Fox on the hunt
