SEATTLE — "It takes a lot of patience to photograph wildlife and get that perfect shot you're looking for."
Sixteen-year-old photographer Isabelle Edwards is well versed in the art of waiting.
"I have sat down at a spot for maybe over 5 hours looking for one specific animal and having them not show up for the entire day."
From a young age, Isabelle learned patience and photography by taking trips around the Northwest with her father.
"We used to travel up to the San Juan Islands which is up north and we used to take pictures of the orca whales that came by Lime Kiln State Park. And also the foxes that reside on the island."
Isabelle Edwards photos from Lime Kiln State Park
Over time, she began to develop a preference for photographing birds.
"We'd also go up to Vancouver BC, they have an amazing variety of owl species which really got me into more birds."
Isabelle Edwards owl photos
But there is one bird that always seems to evade her lens.
"My biggest current goal that I'm looking for is a northern pygmy owl. They're these really tiny, about four inches long, teeny tiny species of owl that resides here in Washington actually. Except they're so tiny and elusive that they're almost impossible to find unless you hear their call which is just a little doot-doot noise."
Photographing wildlife may be frustrating and tedious, but the feeling she gets once she does get the shot makes the waiting worth it.
"When you finally find the animal, you get kind of like a jump in your heart and it just feels like such an exhilarating and happy experience and you just feel like a child."
The pygmy owl may be hiding from her but one thing not hiding is a demand for her work.
"I started selling photography this year. Around Christmas time actually. It's a great day for the holidays and people are looking for gifts for their friends and family and I was able to get a little bit of a base for selling prints."
If things keep coming into focus, Isabelle hopes to turn her camera work into a career.
"I definitely would love to travel around as soon as I can get a little bit more income and be able to support myself with photography… I wanna push towards my goals and see how it unfolds for me."
If you would like to see more of Isabelle's photos or purchase one, visit her website to view her gallery and online store.
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