Following

Limited Edition Finw Art Print

Lake Clark National Park, Alaska

The Encounter

I arrived by small plane, landing on the beach during low tide. Wildlife does not pose. The bears are constantly moving, and the light changes as the sun climbs higher, so you have only brief moments when a window opens and then closes again. Out on the mud flats, carrying two cameras, I did not photograph from a standing position. Again and again I got down in the mud, holding my camera low to bring you to the bear’s level and into his world. As he moved, I moved with him, getting up and down, getting a little ahead of him, walking parallel to him, trying to capture his story, his heartbeat, his rhythm.

There was something about this bear that was so special to me. He was a young sub-adult, just stepping into manhood and trying to find where he belonged. The play of his cub years was changing, as it does for a young male, and his encounters with the other bears did not go well. More than once, he was chased off. At one point, he and another young male he had grown up playing with wrestled over a female. It was like watching two teenage boys who suddenly liked the same girl, and she chose the other bear. I do not want to read too much into it, but to me, there was a loneliness about him, and you could see it in his posture: a quiet lack of confidence as he searched for his place in his world. Then, across the flats, he followed the confident lead of a tiny seagull as nature painted the world in golden pastels.

The Whisper

Behind them, a fog bank hung at the water’s edge. So often in our own lives, we cannot see past that fog. We do not know what it holds, and there is uncertainty in not knowing. I could relate to this bear. We have all known that loneliness, the feeling that we no longer fit in where we once did. Even in learning photography, I have felt that same lack of confidence: in all I desire to learn, and in being able to capture the story of a moment while listening for God’s whispers.

But this is the special part. God sees us when we are in that place, and this bear was never left alone. The gull was right there with him, not following behind, but leading the way. In that moment, the gull felt like the Holy Spirit saying to me:

“It’s okay. You don’t have to know it all right now. You’re going to grow into this. Just follow me. Stay close.”

Sometimes the greatest strength is found in surrender to gentle guidance. Wisdom often arrives in the smallest whispers, and true courage lies in following where we are led with childlike trust. May this print become your whisper, a quiet reminder on your wall: you are seen, you are not alone, and you are being led.

Recognition

First Place Gold, Wildlife category, Nature Photography Contest (international)
Honorable Mention, 1839 Awards (international)
Nominee, Winners Gallery, reFocus World Photo Annual (international)

Edition Details

Limited edition of 10 prints total across both sizes, plus 2 artist’s proofs
Printed on Canson Baryta Satin paper
Unframed, numbered on the back
Each print includes a certificate of authenticity and a signed label for the back of the frame
No other sizes or editions of this image will be produced.
Free insured shipping within the US. International collectors, please contact me.

Choose Your Size

24x36 inches: $1,500

16x24 inches: $1,300