I think this is the shot I’m proudest of this year. I’ve been planning to photograph American Pikas for about a year now, and finally set out to do it in late September. As soon as I started planning the trip, I knew I wanted to get a scenic shot of a pika. I wasn’t going to pika country at the right time for the classic wildflower shot, and most of the pika photos I’ve seen have been tight portraits or behavior shots. A scenic shot was a chance to stand out a bit.
My first attempt was a complete failure. I’ve never been at 10000 ft before, and I wasn’t prepared for relatively the steep hike up to the pika colony. It took me so long to get up there that I was nearly out of time when I got to the spot. I realized if I kept pushing on to find the pika, I might not have the energy or time to get back down before sunset. I turned back, and later found out I stopped when I was just 100 yards from the colony.
If you want to hear the rest of the story, check out The Story of the Shot on Ray Hennessy‘s YouTube channel. I’ve learned so much from all of the free content Ray shares on his channel, and from one on one sessions with Ray. Whether it’s editing techniques, composition, using light, or inspiration to find and share the scenes that bring me joy, Ray’s been hugely influential in my wildlife photography journey. It was a real honor to get to share the behind the scenes on this shot with the rest of Ray’s audience.