8 Photos Worth The Wait

Good things come to those who wait, and waiting isn’t always easy, especially when taking nature photos.  Photographing the perfect scene sometimes means sitting in foul weather or extreme temperatures, holding a particular position for a long time, or just holding onto patience and hope that the scene will come together. When you get that great shot, it was worth the wait – like these photos from past National Wildlife Photo Contest entrants.

 “Last summer I planted some swamp milkweed in order to attract monarch butterflies,” Susannah Alle writes. “This shot was taken on a very rainy day. I sat under a beach umbrella to protect my camera waiting for the butterfly to emerge.”

And later…

 A visible full moon in the morning sky over Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge gave Michael Rosenbaum an idea for a photo.  He waited, hoping one of many nearby snow geese flocks would fly in formation across the serene backdrop. Patience paid off when they finally did.

 

While waiting for the rain to stop in the Green Cay Wetlands outside of Boynton Beach, Florida, Scott Helfrich captured this tricolored heron standing in the storm. He used a slow shutter speed to bring out the streaks of falling rain.

 

Richard Watson watched a herd of elk near Gold Beach, Oregon, waiting for this exact shot. “I call this Antler Candy.”

 

After landing in South Georgia, Steve Gould noticed a group of king penguins moving toward him. He hunkered low to the ground with his tripod to photograph the group, and was pleased with the atmosphere that the clouds and approaching sunset added to the scene.

 

Jim Herrly waited over an hour for the osprey to swoop down and snatch a fish. Patience and quick reflexes helped land this photo.

 

Following a morning rain, a bunch of snails were creeping along a stone staircase in Wuhan City. Minghui Yuan laid on the ground and waited for a snail to climb up to the top step and swivel its tentacles toward the camera.

Be Part of the 2014 National Wildlife Photo Contest!

Enter your own photos for a chance to win, or vote for and share your favorite images in this year’s National Wildlife Photo Contest. The $20 entry fee helps support National Wildlife Federation’s work to protect wildlife and wild places.