Unexpected Photo Opportunity

Get this, I'm in the middle of the woods lying on my stomach trying to take a picture of some wild berries. All of a sudden I hear the leaves rustle in the distant. I ask the guy with me, who is standing holding the reflector, "Did you hear that?" Of course he did not. Brush it off and  I go back to framing my shot, maybe it was just a squirrel.  But I hear it again. This time closer and louder.
Of course he still does not hear it. Now, remind you, I'm just about eye level with the ground, ass up to the sky up, hands in a death grip around my camera supporting myself on  my elbows that are deep in foliage and nobody but me can hear these heavy loud footsteps coming from the woods. Finally I'm not the only one hearing the leaves rustling. Great -I'm not going crazy.

Moments later there is a large something moving just to the right of us. I jump up like the spring chicken I am NOT and pull the "stupid girl in the movie that dies first" move and walk in the direction I hear the noise armed with only my camera and pop-up flash (when its on the right setting, it can be the perfect weapon). At first it sounded like a person had veered off the beaten path and was finally coming out the woods. But the movement I saw it moving I clearly knew this was no person. What ever it is, it's huge and Thanks be to God, it's behind a fence!!!

As I got closer, this beautiful Emu was dayum near close to staring me eye to eye. I was so excited, I  felt like I had just found $150! Now I'm no Emu expert so I don't know if it is a male or female, just as happy to see me really pissed off that I just came into his territory and started taking pictures without asking. But it was a beautiful creature.

Emu - Photo by Carmen Gray

I so loved the way he kept rubbing his neck up against the fence. Every so often he would snap his beak shut you would hear this deep rumble like someone was beating on a bass drum filled with water. Coolest thing ever (as least for me, one has never been this close to an Emu).

Another cool thing was his preferred hair style - The MoHawk - LOVE IT! I thought it really brought out his orange eyes!

Finally the feet on this thing was massive! Can you imagine having this thing run up on you unexpected? I am sooo glad it was behind a fence.

Although this was not the ideal shooting conditions (subject being blocked by a fence), I was extremely happy with the opportunity to shoot an wild Emu right in my backyard (sorta).