When you're a nature photographer, you have to be out there as much as possible, ready for whenever a creature is going to present itself.
Tim Osborne knows this well enough with regular trips to Big Lake and other natural areas in or near St. Albert. Last weekend, the photographer posted a wildly humourous and well-timed shot of a bison crossing in perhaps the most appropriate place possible: next to a sign warning drivers of bison.
"It was a cold morning, so rather than going out for a walk, I decided to go for a drive up to Elk Island to maybe see some different things. I had the good fortune to find a bison just off the road. I was sitting there taking some photos when the opportunity for that photo presented itself," he recalled.
He shared the image on his Twitter account where the report was picked up by CTV Edmonton. Osborne said he was the only photographer out there at the time, and no, he didn't get the majestic prairie beast to pose.
"To be clear, I was in my car, not wandering around that close to bison. That would be irresponsible," he confirmed, sharing the sagacity of common sense.
Osborne explained the provincial park is a great place for bison shots. He's even been stuck in "bison traffic jams" on that road.
"I was in one this summer, where literally they went to sleep in front of the car, and I had to sit and wait for about a half an hour before I could move. There's just no getting around them."
He was luckier with traffic this time around, verifying the animal did in fact make it safely to the other side of the road with a second photo of the bison shared on his Twitter.
The photo met with such wild approval that he was encouraged to direct those interested in protecting wildlife to check out the works of Canadian Wildlife Conservation photographer John E. Marriott and the Exposed Wildlife Conservancy.
He also offered some tips about getting great wildlife photos. First, you must get out there, he said, but it's also very important to respect the wildlife, don't cause the animals any stress, and stay safe.
