Wildlife photography is addictive; each chance encounter, like a drug, fuels the desire for another. However fleeting the moment, the mere glimpse of a nonhuman “other” feeds the nucleus accumbens, the reward center deep within the brain’s limbic system. When an encounter is followed by a successful photograph, the cycle is complete and the addiction is reinforced.

*Harbor (Common) Seal (Phoca vitulina) - Central Coast, CA*

Lack of preparation, research and practice is the key obstacle to producing successful images that will strengthen the need to make more. When pursuing wildlife subjects, take the time to learn the behavioral patterns and routines of your subject. Knowing the ethology that influences reproductive behaviors, migration and physiological changes it is possible to transform a “dumb-luck” image to a probable success.

The images attached to this post were made at Moss Landing near California’s central coast. A high tide and late autumnal visit to the estuary increased the likelihood of finding otters and harbor seals. Because I was shooting from a boat, I positioned myself in a prone position to place the lens as close to eye level as possible. Knowledge of the gear and behavioral patterns allowed me to maximize the brief wildlife encounters I had on this afternoon.