Autumn's Call

"Autumn's Call"

Every fall, the Rockies pull me back with the same irresistible force that stirs the elk. As the air cools and the valleys fill with morning mist, that ancient bugle begins to echo through the mountains - nature’s unmistakable signal that the rut has begun.

On this crisp September morning, I followed the sound until I found him: a magnificent bull elk standing in the golden light, his breath hanging in the air as he released another powerful call. For a moment, everything around us stood still.

I raised my camera, but only after taking one long, grateful breath. Encounters like this are not just photographs; they’re gifts. They’re reminders of why we return to these places year after year, why we feel compelled to witness the rhythm of the wild with our own eyes.

Autumn’s Call captures that fleeting encounter - one that reminds me why this season moves me so deeply. The elk are calling, and every year, I feel called back too.

- Stan Masters

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