I had long dreamed of photographing the willow grouse in beautiful light. I often visit Nuorgam in northern Finland, and over the years I’ve become familiar with these remarkable birds. A few winters ago, I was skiing in the fells with my dog at sunset. The sky turned orange, then faintly pink. Ahead of me appeared what looked like a pile of white snowballs — but they began to move. It was a flock of ptarmigan, around a hundred of them.
I expected them to fly off immediately, especially with my dog nearby, but many stayed put, calmly nibbling birch buds as I passed. Some lifted only a short distance away. The pink sky reflected on the snow and the white birds glowed against the pastel backdrop. It was beyond belief — the photograph of my dreams.