PAUL STILES PHOTOGRAPHY
Teeth and Claws
I had spent the better part of a year watching the comings and goings of a local pack of coyotes, and was getting a good idea of where they would be and when. Coyotes can be shy at times, but also curious; so I had to find a way to get closer to my subject. Rather than going out a looking for them, I decided I would wait for them to come to me. I determined where the best place for this was and set out before the sun rose. At the time I didn't have the repurposed hunting hide I would later use, but this encounter showed me how much I needed one. I set out before the sunrise of a late winter day and picked my spot. I laid down comfortably and covered myself in loose brush, grass, and branches; and as the sun rose the coyotes appeared!
Beaks and Feathers
I had been searching for spotted owls all spring, and found a few, but one family stood out to me. After spending some time with the parents and their two chicks I noticed that they still actively used a burn area in their territory for hunting and roosting. On more than one occasion I found the owls in burnt trees and was inspired to make this image of a juvenile perched atop a scorched tree with a larger burnt tree as the background. As a biologist, this photo means more to me than most of my photos, since it serves as supplemental proof that these rare and threatened old growth specialists can still survive in areas burned with a lower severity of forest fire; and thus provides some hope for the species in the changing landscape of California. For more images of this family and other feathered friends make sure to check out the full gallery!
Little Critters
This small animal is called a pika! Although it looks like a rodent it's actually a lagomorph, meaning its related to rabbits. These little guys live at high elevations on rocky mountain slopes upwards of 8000ft/2400m. Sometimes while hiking through the Sierra Nevada mountains I would hear the screams of nearby pika on talus slopes and sit down on a rock and wait. Sure enough they would start popping out of their hiding places in the rocks!
Horns and Antlers
The rocky mountains might be well known for their abundant elk, but California has its own claim to fame; we're the only state with all three species of elk! I was exploring the northern coast looking for a Tule elk herd that would tolerate my presence. Eventually, I found a bachelor herd and spent a couple days hanging out with them; and since it was during the rut the bulls had their hands full chasing cow elk. In the mornings and evenings a fog would roll in and engulf the herd, and though the thick fog created limited photo opportunities I knew if I stuck around long enough I would find my moment!
Marine Mammals
Every winter on the pacific coast, elephant seals gather together and haul themselves onto western shores. Though they came close to extinction once at the hands of man, they have since recovered as a species and some beaches can be found hosting thousands of these awesome creatures every winter. Some of the most massive carnivores on earth and the largest of the pinnipeds, these giants are covered in scars from spectacular fights like the one in this image to show dominance and claim mating rights to female harems. When I saw these two bull elephant seals square up in the breaking waves I knew I had the shot I wanted!
Waterfowl
On a cold winter day I was hiking along the coast of big bear lake in my hometown of southern California, and as the sun rose and the light increased, I came across this great blue heron fishing in the marsh. I sat on the bank and watched as it strode along the icy shore and waiting for my chance. I had been getting to know this particular bird over time and it had become a joy to get to know it.
Landscapes
Despite being right next to a large city, this untamed landscape had lots of wildlife. Its herds of bison, pronghorn, and bighorn gives a glimpse of what the land must have been like before mankind. My landscape photos are all taken during my journeys to find wildlife.
Monochromatic
This silhouette was an image I had in my head for awhile, just itching to get out! In the deserts of southern California I spent a few days getting to know a herd of peninsular bighorn sheep that was particularly friendly. I would hang out with them for hours at a time, watching from a distance and learning their behaviors and personalities. As the sheep began to find their favorite rocks to sleep on for the evening, this ram started walking up the face of a giant boulder on a cliff; perfect terrain for a bighorn to take advantage of! As the sun began to set and the light fade, I only had a few minutes left to work with the sheep before nightfall. I took advantage of the situation when there was no longer enough light to get good detail from a moving animal in low light and decided to focus more on capturing a silhouette!
John Muir Trail
In the high Sierras the John Muir trail winds through the mountains for over 200 miles from Yosemite to the peak of Mt. Whitney. Every turn of the trail revealed a spectacular view of the forests, lakes, and mountains. This is a photo of a creek swelled to the size of a river by the melting waters of alpine snow; back in 2019 the Sierras had a record amount of spring snow that even in July had every creek flooded.
Vietnam
In 2019 I took a trip to to the beautiful country of Vietnam and backpacked across the northern interior of the country, experiencing the cities and countryside and what they have to offer. This photo was taken in a cultural village overlooking rice fields in the Sapa region.
- John Muir
All the wild world is beautiful, and it matters but little where we go, to highlands or lowlands, woods or plains, on the sea or land or down among the crystals of waves or high in a balloon in the sky; through all the climates, hot or cold, storms and calms, everywhere and always we are in God's eternal beauty and love. So universally true is this, the spot where we chance to be always seems the best.
About Me
Growing up in the San Bernardino Mountains I’ve spent many weekends backpacking, camping, snowshoeing, exploring meadows, and searching for wildlife. Those years growing up in the forest inspired my love of nature and gave me the skills necessary to learn wildlife photography. Now, my goal is to use photography as a tool to progress conservation and research of wildlife and their habitats to help reverse our negative impact on the environment.
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Fawnskin, CA
pauljstiles1@gmail.com
(909) 553-9939