HELENA — Larry Taylor is a biology professor at Helena College, and when he is not teaching he is out in the wilderness photographing nature.
"It is rare as a photographer to know you got something that is a once in a lifetime, but I knew as soon as I took that photograph," Taylor says.
Taylor's is one of only 100 photographs that earned the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award, one of the most prestigious awards in nature photography.
Out of nearly 60,000 applicants, his photo of an ermine scaling a crack in a cliff in Yellowstone National Park took him to London, England.
"There were people in that room that I have been following their photography for years," said Taylor. "I mean they are people I look up to, so just to be recognized as part of that group is absolutely surreal."
Taylor says he feels grateful and honored for the experience and remembers his humble photography beginnings.
He recalls hearing coyotes where he grew up in rural Texas and now they are his favorite animal to photograph because of that nostalgia.
"Ever since I was a little kid I was just fascinated with biology in general, but with the idea of being out there seeing these things and capturing these moments," Taylor says.
It was not until moving to Montana to be a professor that photography became more than a hobby.
Taylor says, "You have to be patient. If I am out for a full weekend only about 20 minutes is actually photographed, but those 20 minutes are something you will never see again, so that's it, the uniqueness of the moment that makes it so thrilling."
His passion for wild animals and his accomplishment is something he wants to share with all, especially his students.
Taylor starts his Tuesday classes with photos he captured over the weekend.
Taylor's award-winning photograph is currently on display at the Natural History Museum of London and will travel to 30 other museums.
