I liked the name of this butterfly that I photographed in Thailand — the Paris Peacock. I wanted to capture the brilliant green of the topside of the wings, while also displaying the underside with the colorful rings along the back edge. The Paris Peacock also has two large turquoise patches on the topside of the wings, which are impossible to see from this angle.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/40th of a second
I had a lot of fun photographing this troop of stump-tailed macaques on the Malay Peninsula in Thailand — especially these youngsters who were constantly at play.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second
Yellowstone is a great park to capture photos of animals in the landscape. Pronghorn seem to be more and more common at Yellowstone and provide nice subjects for such shots. I remember ten or more years ago definitely not seeing as many as I see now. This young lady was taking a look back at the rest of the herd while the sun started to inch down toward the horizon behind me.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/2500th of a second
Here’s another raptor. This time a Galápagos hawk from Rabida Island in the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. As with most of the wildlife on the islands, there is a lack of fear of human visitors. The animals seem to be more curious than anything else, or they just ignore the fact that you are even there. This guy fell into the former camp. He was bobbing his head left and right, checking me out while I captured a series of tight headshots.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second
Nine-banded armadillos are quite common in Florida, but they can be difficult to photograph. They don’t have very good eyesight, but they have a great sense of smell and hearing. I spotted quite a few on Merritt Island, but would have to approach upwind to take care of the smell problem, and then quietly get into place to take care of the hearing issue. This involved getting as low as possible to get the best vantage point of these smallish mammals. The other challenge is photographing them with their eyes open, as they tend to be closed most of the time. It all came together nicely for this shot.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second
In a bit of a role reversal from what we are used to, at Seal River Lodge in northern Manitoba, Canada, the humans are the ones caged in while the polar bears roam free. While not out on guided hikes, guests are free to view and photograph bears from the safety of a fenced in backyard. Bears are often just outside the fence, attracted by all the interesting smells coming from the lodge and its guests. This large male was peering over the raised viewing platform inside that backyard.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 35mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second
As the sun starts to rise on the Makgadikgadi Pan in Botswana, the meerkats start to wake up and begin playing just outside their burrows. Soon thereafter, they head out into the desert for a day of foraging for insects. This little guy was taking a quick break to check out his reflection in my wide angle zoom lens.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 22mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/640th of a second
This is a black-collared hawk. You can see the black collar from which it gets its name. They usually build their nests near water and eat mostly fish, but also snails, water bugs, lizards and rodents. They live throughout Central and South America. I photographed this one from a boat while exploring a small river in the Pantanal of Brazil.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 240mm) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/125th of a second
On the final morning of my second trip to Botswana, I met this solo giraffe surveying the landscape as the sun was quickly rising in the background.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 130mm) ISO 560, f/18 at 1/60th of a second
Agoutis are fairly common in the rainforests of Central America. I guess you could say they are the squirrel’s of the rainforest. But although they might resemble their northern cousins, they are uniquely their own rodent. Just look at those shapely, slender legs. Squirrels can’t compete. I met this friendly agouti one morning in southern Costa Rica. He/she allowed me a few clicks of the shutter before retreating back into the forest.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/3.2 at 1/30th of a second