Delanyʻs Senior Portrait Moose Encounters

It was an interesting Saturday morning portrait session to say the least. I arrived early to our highly anticipated photo session at the beautiful Silver Creek Preserve, which is known for its stunning scenery. On my way into the location, I spotted an impressive bull moose off in the distance near the area where we were going to be doing our photoshoot. Excitedly, I parked my car and quickly got out, eager to capture a photo of the bull moose I had seen. When I came over the hill, I was pleasantly surprised to see an entire herd—seven moose standing gracefully out in the field. This included one magnificent bull, three gentle cows, and three playful calves. They were pretty far away, so I was fortunate enough to grab a few shots safely from a distance.

After enjoying this unexpected wildlife sighting, I went back to my car to meet up with Delany and her mom, so I could walk them out to the area where we would be capturing memories together. By this time, the herd had left the scene, so we were in the clear to proceed with our plans. The sunrise session was going so amazingly well! Delany really did such an awesome job connecting with the camera and showing off her personality. She is definitely a natural in front of the camera.

We decided to walk close to a serene swimming hole along the beautiful creek. When we turned the corner, we were astonished to find a bull, a cow, and a calf directly across the creek, all staring at us with curiosity. We stayed quiet and moved slowly as we carefully walked backwards, making sure not to turn our backs towards them or accidentally spook them. It was such a close call! As you know, Mama moose can be very protective of their young. We finally managed to put some distance between us and them as they crossed the field and went on with their day, so did we.

The sunrise sessions near the Silver Creek Preserve always amaze me and fill me with inspiration. There is something truly magical about that place that invigorates the spirit. It is an enormous help when you have someone as confident, happy, and natural as Delany modeling for you. I can’t wait for our next session and for even more incredible experiences together. Coming from an island, you don’t see moose very much. In fact, none at all!