I encountered this Yellow-Crowned Night Heron one quiet morning at Brazos Bend State Park.  I couldn't believe this bird had perched itself on a log and tolerated my presence very well!  I was very nervous because a simple background is not easy to obtain in wildlife photography, and the lighting was so golden. 

Minolta 800, Minolta 400/4.5 Lens, Gitzo 1228 Tripod, Fujichrome  Sensia,    f/5.6

I felt very lucky to encounter this Red-Shouldered Hawk last January.  I was  nervous as I photographed her because the lighting was  wonderful, and she allowed me to get quite close!  It would've been nice for the hawk to have perched in a more simple setting, but with wildlife photography, you appreciate an opportunity like this however it's presented. 

Minolta 800, Minolta 400/4.5 Lens, matching 1.4 teleconverter, Gitzo 1228 Tripod, Fujichrome Provia F,  f/6.7

I took this image during a Joe McDonald workshop in Pennsylvania.   I was supposed to be photographing clover, but I couldn't resist the small Cotton-tail Rabbit which had eluded me the past two days!   This is one of my favorite images because it was my first quality wildlife shot.