Capturing the Endangered Big Horn Sheep in Borrego Springs

Hiking along a sunset canyon with my camera in hand, I hope to find the elusive Big Horn Sheep.

Where?

California has a diverse landscape from wet sandy beaches to dry deserts! Borrego Springs is one of those deserts. It is a small town within the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, located in Southern California and only two hours East from beautiful San Diego.

I went on a hike to search for the endangered Big Horn Sheep, which live up along the mountain tops. On the return journey I suddenly turned and there was an amazing animal looking back at me.

I took some shots with my camera while trying to stay still. It started walking away from me and headed towards the sunset mountains.

The Shot

Sometimes nature brings all of its beautiful elements together into one frame for you to capture with the camera. Well, this was that moment! The Big Horn Sheep suddenly was perfectly silhouetted against the sunset mountains and surrounded by high-rising plants.

I got the shot and immediately knew I had something special.

The photo (shown above) was a finalist in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest in England.

It remains today one of my most exciting photos.

If you enjoy absolute peace and quiet from the big-city world that we live in, I highly recommend visiting Borrego Springs!

For more of my photography, please visit J.W. Gallery