Giant river otters live up to their name. They are big. About six feet in length. I was floating down a river in the Pantanal of Brazil when I saw these three enjoying the early morning sun.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 280mm) ISO 1600, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second
I took this one a few years back at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary in Orr, Minnesota. A cinnamon colored black bear cub calling to mom while climbing down from a tree. As always, click for a larger view.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 310mm) ISO 500, f/4 at 1/500th of a second
As far as monkeys go, the white capuchin is not one of the prettiest. But then again, it is a monkey, and by virtue of that alone, I think the white faced capuchin is a fine beast. I got a nice close look at the baldish, yet hairy-ish face on this one late one afternoon in Drake Bay, Costa Rica.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/320th of a second
Here’s one for the entomology fans — a giant red-winged grasshopper. I don’t know much about these guys other than they are big. Up to seven inches in length. This one was hiding in the leaf litter on a trail through Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica. For close-ups of larger small things like this guy, I like to use my 200-400mm lens because of its ability to focus at close range.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/125th of a second
This one was taken early in the morning in northern Botswana. Several spotted hyena were romping around in a flooded plain chasing after each other and apparently having a good old time — unusual behavior for the ordinarily laid back hyena. There wasn’t much light so most of my pictures from this session were motion-blurred panning shots. For this one I had enough light (but still had to pan with the hyena) to freeze the head and torso.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 240mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/160th of a second
Depending upon location, green iguanas can come in many colors, including orange, blue and even pink. This one, however, properly lives up to the name. It was photographed in Trinidad at the Asa Wright Nature Center. Green iguanas are a widely distributed species and they can be found as far south as southern Brazil and Paraguay, all the way up to the Florida keys.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second
This is a red-bellied lemur, photographed in Ranomafana National Park in the east central region of Madagascar. These lemurs are considered vulnerable due to diminishing habitat (as are all lemurs). In this case, it’s mostly due to slash and burn farming. The male and female of the species are fairly similar in appearance, although the male has a more pronounced teardrop-shaped patch of white beneath the eyes.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-800 flash
Just a simple shot of a simple bird. This is a willet, a large-ish shorebird in the sandpiper family. This particular willet was patrolling the incoming surf at Saint Andrews State Park in Panama City Beach, Florida — foraging for crustaceans, insects and marine worms. I was on my stomach with my 200-400mm lens, trying to avoid that incoming surf.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 300mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/3200th of a second
If you ever wondered what a penguin’s eye looks like, this is the post for you. The subject is a baby king penguin and it obviously let me get very close. It’s not a macro shot, however, but rather was taken with my telephoto lens from about ten feet away and then cropped. It’s always nice to have willing subjects and be able to experiment with different angles and points of view.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/8 at 1/500th of a second
Here’s another one from Yellowstone — a mother bighorn with her lamb. For most of the year, the males live in bachelor herds at higher elevations while the females can be found down below with the young. It’s only during breeding season that the rams and ewes get together. We came across several large herds of females and young on this recent trip, very habituated to our presence and going about their business as if we weren’t there.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 2000, f/4 at 1/320th of a second