As common as they can be on safari, I never grow tired of photographing zebras. This one was strutting with purpose across the flooded plain of the Linyanti concession in Botswana.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/1600th of a second
Here’s a rare non-wildlife photo. Actually four photos. All from Khlong Saeng in Thailand. This is an incredibly beautiful location and these photos can only hint at what this place is actually like. Back in 1987, the construction of a dam flooded this area that had, for the most part, been previously unnavigable. You can still see many old tree trunks rising from the water. And all around ancient coral reefs rise sharply from the water and are now limestone crags, or karst, covered in thick jungle. It is the domain of a wide variety of animals, including clouded leopards, marbled cats, slow lorises and many other rare species of southeast Asia. I didn’t see any of those three creatures, but did see plenty of gibbons, langurs and hornbills while exploring by boat. And boat is really the only way to go in Khlong Saeng. All exploration is possible due to the water. Even the hotels are made possible by the vast lake and its many arms and tributaries and are actually floating lodges, a few of which you can see in the first and third images. The second image shows one of the boats that ferries tourists around, as well as the swallowed-up trees that rise from shallower depths. In the last photo, my guide, boat captain and I entered a watery alcove where a troop of langurs were putting on a bit of a show.
First Photo — Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 135mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/800th of a second
Second Photo — Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 35mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/500th of a second
Third Photo — Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 70mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/800th of a second
Fourth Photo — Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/400th of a second
I mentioned in a recent post that nothing beats the keel-billed toucan for its brilliant color amidst all the green of the Central American rainforest. The scarlet macaw, however, sure does come close. These large parrots are adorned with a generous amount of all three primary colors — red, yellow and blue. Some individuals even have a bit of green mixed in. This guy was feeding on figs, high in a tree along the coastline of Drake Bay in Costa Rica.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second
This young long-tailed macaque kept a close eye on his older troop mates up in a tree while enjoying a few figs down below. Also known as crab-eating macaques, these guys are fairly common throughout southeast Asia. This one was photographed on the Malay Peninsula in Thailand.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second
You can tell that this was a very young bull due to the size of his antlers so late in the season. Of course, it didn’t stop him from mixing it up with his much older, and larger, competition for the affection of the lone cow in the area. That said, he was more of an observer than a legitimate challenger. His time will come soon enough. But he did win the award for walking through the most picturesque patch of ground cover in Chugach State Park, Alaska the morning that I was there to photograph the action.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 85mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second
There’s been a lot of talk of elephants in the news this past week. I don’t like to get political on this blog, but let’s just hope the president has come to his senses and sticks to his word about keeping the Obama ban on elephant carcasses into the United States. Granted his change of heart has been spurred by public outcry, but he has promised to review the issue further this week and doubts he will side with those that say we must kill elephants to save elephants. I’ve heard all the arguments about trophy hunting actually being a good thing for the conservation of the species and none of them seem to hold any water. Other than the obvious illogic of killing an endangered animal to help save it, the money from these hunts benefits the hunting outfitters and corrupt local officials, not any legitimate conservation efforts. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to observe elephants in the wild knows that they are among the planet’s most majestic creatures, while anyone who needs one of their heads stuffed and mounted on a wall in their home, has a host of other issues to deal with. So c’mon Mr. President, make this be the week that I can like you. At least for a little while. As for the two beauties above, they were photographed on the plains of Ol Pajeta Conservancy in Laikipia, Kenya.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second
First off, thanks everyone for the kind words on yesterday’s post. Much appreciated. As for today, well, I’ve been in quite a lemur mood lately and have been thinking a lot about my trip to Madagascar back in 2007 and how much I’d love to get back there sometime soon. One of the things I liked so much about the country is that it doesn’t really feel like anywhere else in the world. The animals are different than anywhere else, the trees are different, and even the rocks are different. In the south of the country where these Verreaux’s sifaka lemurs live, the tree branches looked like giant pipe cleaners protruding from their thorny trunks. Truly a magical place.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/3.2 at 1/250th of a second
I’ve posted this photo before, but I was just notified that it took second place in the National Wildlife Federation’s annual photo contest in the Baby Animals category, so I figured I’d repost. The NWF contest is one of the more prestigious wildlife photo competitions that I enter so honored that I was among the winners this year. Check out the other great images at this link.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 1600, f/2.8 at 1/400th of a second
Just a simple shot today of two bald eagles surveying their territory atop a pine tree in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska. Both male and female bald eagles are very similar in appearance. The females, however, are about 25% larger in size. Seeing two together like this indicates a breeding pair.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second
I like this side view of a red-eyed tree frog because it displays all the nice blue areas that can be found on the legs, sides, upper arms, and around the eyeballs. The frog was just beginning his night of croaking with a quick rest stop inside a heliconia flower, Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 75mm with Canon 500D close up filter/lens attached) ISO 200, f/20 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-800 flash units