Port au Choix Caribou
Photograph by Michael Dreese
This past summer my wife and I toured the gorgeous western coast of Newfoundland. We spent 3 days in the scenic fishing town of Port au Choix. Just outside of the town, a small herd of Woodland Caribou live on the limestone barrens along the coastline. I ventured out daily during the early dawn and near sunset hours to capture these magnificent animals in their environment. On our last evening there, the light was absolutely magical. I positioned myself in a location to capture my subjects with the warm rim light to enhance the details of their fur and velvet antlers. Fortunately, the largest bull in the herd approached in the perfect position. One of the difficulties in photographing these animals is that they are often clumped together and only occasionally raise their heads. When a brief window opened up, I fired a burst of images at a higher shutter speed. I also shot a wide open aperture to create some foreground blur and a soft background. I only needed to make a few basic adjustments in Lightroom to finish my vision. Spending time with these animals was an unforgettable experience and this image brings me back to that special place and moment.
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