Autumn in the Rocky Mountains is a truly magical time of year. Oranges, reds, yellows, purples and golds fill the landscape as the vegetation changes, dropping their leaves in preparation for the harsh winter ahead. 

One of the main goals of any wildlife photographer is to capture the essence of the season or the landscape while they photograph whatever animal is in front of their lens. Today, that just happened to be a Bighorn Sheep for me!

It was late enough in the season that the peak of color-changing splendor had passed, but there were still pockets in the landscape where some scrub oak clung onto their last remaining leaves. Now, the trick was positioning myself adequately to capture both the Sheep and the colors.

I’d been on this specific mission all morning so far without any luck. My quarry would move through a particularly good patch of scrub oak, but by the time I got in the best position for a good photo, the big ram had already moved on. These moments were brief and my footing was questionable on this steep mountainside. 

At long last, I saw a small corridor through the colorful leaves early enough to get into a good spot. I positioned myself accordingly and waited. The Bighorn Sheep ram continued in the direction he was walking and soon ventured straight into the narrow, colorful pathway amidst the oaks. He paused for the briefest of moments, allowing me to get a quick picture. It was almost as if he understood the extent of the chase he had led me on that morning and was finally ready to reward me for my efforts! He continued on his way up the mountain and I let him continue on alone. I watched him go until finally he disappeared into some rocks above. I started the long trek back down the mountain, a smile on my face and another picture guarded safely in my camera!