A giraffe crosses a river in the Masai Mara of Kenya during a downpour. Seeing one of these amazing creatures running in its natural habitat is among the truly great spectacles of our wild world. They are part grace, part gawk and wholly impressive. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 95mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/400th of a second.
A Galápagos land iguana makes its way across the sandy terrain of North Seymour Island. These guys are big iguanas, usually yellowish/orange in color but they can also be a variety of other colors. Charles Darwin was not impressed as he described them as “ugly animals, of a yellowish orange beneath, and of a brownish-red colour above: from their low facial angle they have a singularly stupid appearance.” Rather unprofessional if I do say so from Mr. Darwin. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 35mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/1250th of a second.
This male stump-tailed macaque might look aggressive, but he was just having a good yawn (while displaying the results of his lack of proper brushing technique). Photographed on the Malay Peninsula of Thailand. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 240mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/160th of a second.
One of the least known herons, the capped heron is a water bird of the Amazon rainforest and surrounding area. I photographed this one in the Pantanal of Brazil. It was the only one that I saw in my time in Brazil. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/125th of a second.
A white-cheeked pintail duck and Galápagos giant tortoise don’t seem to mind sharing the water in a crater pond high in the Santa Cruz highlands of the Galápagos Islands. It was quite prehistoric to watch these giant reptiles going about their business in their natural habitat. Like most of the wildlife in the Galápagos, species tend to live side by side with little conflict. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/8 at 1/250th of a second.
I think this rockhopper penguin wanted to eat my lens. I had been photographing these very curious penguins at close range when two of them came even closer and started pecking at the front element of my fisheye lens, perhaps seeing their own reflection in the glass. I posted a similar photo a few years back, but this one really got in there for an up close and personal perspective. Nikon D800 with Sigma 15mm fisheye lens, ISO 1600, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second.
This baboon has had just about enough of this rain. At least that’s what it looks like he’s thinking. Photographed in the Ol Pajeta Conservancy, Laikipia, Kenya. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second.
Some of you might remember when I posted an image of one of these frogs in the past and referred to it as the “chicken eating frog.” It’s true. They have been known to eat chickens. They also eat bats, among other unfortunate creatures. They are very large and bulky. Over seven inches in length. And they are also toxic. They live in tropical regions of Central and South America and are strictly nocturnal. I photographed this one in the El Valle region of Panama. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 310mm) ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/160th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units.
Here’s one for any entomologists out there. An ebony jewelwing damselfly (also known as the black-winged damselfly). I photographed this guy quite some time ago in Baxter State Park up in Maine. Back in those days, I was using extension tubes with my old 600mm lens to approximate a macro lens. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm manual focus f/5.6 lens, Kenko extension tubes, ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/13th of a second.
A blue-footed booby showing those characteristic blue feet as it struts across the sand. These guys are one of the iconic species of the Galapagos. I photographed them on several of the islands, including this one on Seymour Island. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 220mm) ISO 400, f/5 at 1/5000th of a second.