Black Bear, North Carolina, USA

By Cassidy Girvin

I was initially disappointed to see heavy fog when I awoke, but as the sun neared the horizon, the fog began to lift, leaving a fleeting, golden incandescence for just a few brief minutes. I've found that bad weather is often the best opportunity to make unique photos that no one else has. This is certainly one of my favorite images, wildlife or otherwise, and it came on a morning when I didn't really expect to make any portfolio-quality images.