Not a great shot technically — more of a snapshot really — but I like the story that this one tells. The lioness was taking her sweet time with that wildebeest kill. She had long since gotten all the meat out of it that she could, but she refused to leave even a scrap behind for that persistent, brave, and I assume, annoying jackal. There were actually two black-backed jackals that kept creeping up behind her, nipping at her tail and trying to get her off the kill. And as always there were a few vultures around (you can see one out of focus in the background), waiting patiently for their turn. Eventually the jackals gave up and moved on. As soon as they were out of sight the lion left too, after which about twenty vultures moved in to grab whatever was left. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 1600, f/2.8 at 1/400th of a second
Always nice to get the animals in their environment. In this shot of a bull moose, I liked the splash of yellow from the aspen and the bit of red on the ground beneath the moose. This was from my trip in September to Alaska, just outside of Anchorage in Chugach State Park. If you look close, you can also see that the moose is licking his nose (as he goes after the cow that was just ahead of him in the bushes). Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 105mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second
On Monday I posted a fairly abstract shot of an adult spectral tarsier peering from inside a tree cavity. Here’s what a baby looks like out in the open. Look at those pink lips. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 200, f/10 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-800 flash
The pangolin is easily one of my best wildlife sightings. They can be very rare to see in Africa. Not only did we see one when in Botswana, we saw one being stalked by a leopard. For protection from predators, pangolins will curl up in a ball. But as soon as the pangolin thought the leopard was asleep, it would uncurl itself and slowly try to sneak away. This is one of those slow uncurl moments. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/320th of a second
It was fun to see this meerkat sitting in a bush, surveying the landscape for any would-be predators. They like to get as high as possible for the best view. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/1250th of a second
Another of Tangkoko National Park’s famous residents is the black-crested macaque. This guy was taking a break after a long day of foraging in the forest. I liked the depth in this one with that other macaque in the background doing pretty much the same thing. Amazing the human-like characteristics of these guys. Hanging with them for a few hours was definitely a highlight of my wildlife viewing career thus far. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 26mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/200th of a second
These are the eyes of a spectral tarsier. She is sideways, looking out from the cavity of a tree, getting ready for a night of cricket hunting. That light blotch below the eyes is the tarsier’s left ear. Tarsiers are among the smallest primates in the world, and they have one of the biggest eye to body ratios. I had the pleasure of photographing about five or six of these nocturnal creatures in Tangkoko National Park in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/25th of a second, Nikon SB-800 flash
Always nice to get a few very different creatures in one shot. This prairie dog has to be careful out there with all those bison. Both share the land in Badlands National Park in South Dakota. I used a very small aperture to bring the bison as much into focus as I could. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 800, f/20 at 1/40th of a second
Just a simple shot of a zebra making its way across the Makgadikgadi Pan of Botswana. I used a slow shutter speed and panned with the zebra to give the photo a bit of life. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/32 at 1/20th of a second
Sometimes they let you get close. And when they do, why not take advantage. This was a very friendly Bornean white-bearded gibbon that I met in Indonesia. He hung around the welcome center of Tanjung Puting National Park and was obviously very accustomed to people. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 290mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/80th of a second
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Not a great shot technically — more of a snapshot really — but I like the story that this one tells. The lioness was taking her sweet time with that wildebeest kill. She had long since gotten all the meat out of it that she could, but she refused to leave even a scrap behind for that persistent, brave, and I assume, annoying jackal. There were actually two black-backed jackals that kept creeping up behind her, nipping at her tail and trying to get her off the kill. And as always there were a few vultures around (you can see one out of focus in the background), waiting patiently for their turn. Eventually the jackals gave up and moved on. As soon as they were out of sight the lion left too, after which about twenty vultures moved in to grab whatever was left.
