A magnificent elk stands poised at the edge of a forest in Jasper National Park; its head turned back over its shoulder to lock its gaze directly with the viewer.

Captured in a moment of quiet intimacy, the elk has paused from grazing on the tender shoots of foliage that carpet the mountain floor. A gentle morning mist hangs between the tall, vertical trunks of lodgepole pines, and sunlight filters through the canopy to illuminate the rich textures of the elk. Dewdrops cling to the surrounding undergrowth, catching the early light and grounding the scene in the wild, protected beauty of the Rockies.