Editor’s note: Michele Barker of Hudson recently won Down East Magazine’s first Reader Photo Contest in the wildlife category. Here she describes how she got her shot, taken in July 2014.
I learned about the Down East Reader Photo Contest from a friend and coworker of mine who posted the contest to my Facebook page. At first I wasn’t sure if I would enter it, but after giving it some thought I decided to take a chance. I was excited to see that one of the submission categories was wildlife and quickly thought of several fitting images to submit.
But after reading that photos would be judged, among other criteria, on the ability to capture a strong sense of place, I knew I had to send in my image of a young bull moose at Sandy Stream Pond with Mt. Katahdin in the background.
One of my favorite places to photograph is at Sandy Stream Pond. The ever-changing conditions around the mountain can make it challenging at times to photograph there, but when the conditions are just right it is a very peaceful place to sit and wait for nature to unfold.
On this day when I arrived at the second view point at Sandy Stream Pond, called Big Rock, I was greeted by a young bull moose grazing by the pond’s edge. The lighting where he was wasn’t great, so I didn’t take many photographs at that time.
After awhile, the young bull continued grazing down the shoreline and looked like he might go to the area by the third viewpoint. I took a chance and hiked over to the small platform in that area. Not long after, the young bull came into view. There were no other hikers or visitors at the pond that morning, and I remember how quiet and peaceful it was as I photographed the bull going about his routine.
As he finished eating and was walking away, I was able to take the image of him in the foreground with the beautiful mountain and pond in the background.