Occasionally, however, photography can land you in a spot where you have reached an apex. A point in time and space where the cosmos/nature are prepared to give you a rare Jackpot payout. To send a message, as if to say, “We’re watching you, keep up the good work.” For me, this happened yesterday.

After driving through No Where, South Eastern Kentucky for over an hour we arrived at the top of a small mountain. 2200 feet in elevation. Small by Rockies’ standards, but approaching the top of the world in this area of the country. Last time we were here we got to see the elusive elk that meander around these parts. This time there were no elk, but the wild horses that roam the area were hanging out for a mid-morning snack. We snuck around leaving quite a distance so as not to spook them.

After a few minutes the “Alpha” male amongst them began to make his way towards us. His actions weren’t hostile so we stayed put. He came up to my friend first, putting his nose into the hood of my friends 400mm Canon lens. The horse noticed me taking a few shots of him and my friend, and came over to me. Highlight of my day. Petting him for those few moments, I felt connected to something WAY bigger than me. Miles from civilization, in the wild, 2200 feet up, 360 degrees views, super cold, and windy. Just us and our new friend. Don’t worry nature … I got the message, loud and clear.

Photo by Daniel Boggs