I spotted this female red howler monkey in a clearing in the forest in Madidi National Park in the Bolivian Amazon. Howler monkeys are renown for their loud calls, which can be heard up to three miles away.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/50th of a second
Sometimes the wildlife is as curious about me as I am about it. This baby southern elephant seal pressed its nose right up against my lens before resuming its morning nap. We made our acquaintance on Sea Lion Island in the Falkland Islands.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 24mm) ISO 400, f/4.5 at 1/500th of a second
Yesterday I posted a shot from the La Jolla cliffs in southern California. At the other end of town in La Jolla is a spot called Hospitals Reef, also known simply as the Potholes. Many craters in the rock provide great opportunities for beachscape compositions. I was so excited to shoot in this location that I forgot my tripod back in the hotel and had to improvise by placing my backpack on the ground and nestling my camera on top of it. There was a high surf advisory in effect and even though it was only an hour until dead low tide, a few huge waves caught me off guard, including on this exposure. Luckily, I was able to get the backpack and camera off the ground before finding myself up to my knees in surf. Due to the less that stable conditions, I was shooting at a higher shutter speed than I normally would have in such a situation. It ended up helping on this shot as I was able to somewhat freeze the crashing surf.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 400, f/11 at 1/100th of a second
Just back from a work trip to San Diego followed by a few days of rest and relaxation (which, of course, at least partly included a long lens and a bit of wildlife). I returned to one of my reliable hotspots in La Jolla, about 25 minutes north of San Diego. It’s a great area for seals, sea lions, and pelicans. There are also quite a few other shorebirds, including Brandt’s cormorants that nest on the steep cliffs on the north end of La Jolla’s waterfront. In this image, I was also able to catch a Western gull as it flew in front of the backlit cliffs in early morning light.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 220mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/500th of a second
I photographed this gentoo penguin first thing in the morning. By using a longer focal length, I was able to compress the space between the penguin and the moon. A small aperture gave the image more of a night time look than early morning.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 300mm) ISO 800, f/22 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units
Behold the sugar glider. This is another one from the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in Tasmania. Sugar gliders aren’t native to Tasmania but are an introduced species from mainland Australia. They are nocturnal and as the name suggests, they can fly — or glide, from tree to tree. Extremely cute, they have become a fairly common exotic pet in the United States.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 1600, f/3.5 at 1/100th of a second
I’m a big fan of tamanduas. They are such interesting characters. There are two species, the northern and the southern tamandua. The word tamandua itself means anteater in the South American Tupi language. This guy was going about his upside-down business of slurping ants off the bark of a tree in Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 135mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second
For this night shot of a Tasmanian pademelon and her joey, I was able to use a slow shutter speed to record color in the sky, while using an off camera flash to illuminate the pademelons. Pademelons are funny little macropods, smaller than wallabies and more round in shape. These two were in Narawntapu National Park on the northern coast of Tasmania.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 120mm) ISO 1600, f/2.8 at half a second
Always nice to photograph hippos when they are out of the water. Usually that means getting them first thing in the morning before the hot sun forces them back into rivers and other water bodies. This guy was grazing in an open field in the Masai Mara of Kenya just as the sun appeared on the horizon. In the background you can see a few resting cape buffalo. Fun fact of the day about hippos — their skin alone can weigh in excess of half a ton.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 240mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/250th of a second
This butterfly is known for its see-through wings, but in this photo I liked that I was able to capture the tips of its antenea, while the rest of the butterfly remained out of focus. There are many clearwing butterflies in Central and South American, this one was photographed in Ecuador. Its scientific name is methona confusa.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400 (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second