I’ve posted a few of these bat stars in the past. Here’s another take, from Montana De Oro State Park in Los Osos, California. This was several years ago, but if I recall correctly, I ended up with very wet boots just after taking this shot.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 200, f/20 at 1 second
Here’s another one from Australia. This might have been one of the most amazing skies I’ve ever seen. It kind of looked like the clouds were on fire. You can see the silhouette of a kangaroo down below, going about its business as if this happens every night.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 400mm with TC-20 teleconverter) ISO 200, f/6.3 at 1/80th of a second
This is an old one from my trip to Australia back in November of 2006. In fact, it’s one of the first frogs that I photographed with my original macro set up — which at the time consisted of a Nikon 80-200mm lens with a Canon 500D close up filter and two Nikon SB-800 flash units. This was in the backyard of a lodge I was staying at in Daintree National Park in the tropical northeastern corner of the country. I realized that I could take photos in the middle of the night, but with a nice green background, could make it almost look like mid-day. The little green frog is called a dainty tree frog, also known as the graceful tree frog.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) with Canon 500D close up filter attached, ISO 200, f/22 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-800 flash units
You might remember a few months ago I posted a photo of a bearded bellbird in the rainforest of Trinidad. As it turns out, the bellbird doesn’t have the corner on the market when it comes to avian beards. Behold the white bearded manakin. Granted, not nearly as spectacular of a beard as the bellbird, but the diminutive manakin makes up for it in confidence.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/125th of a second
This is the fantastic leaf tailed gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus), also known as the satanic leaf tailed gecko. I kind of think the latter name is a bit more apropos. Of course, fantastic or satanic, the “leaf tailed” part of the name is quite evident in this photo. We met in Madagascar’s Ranomafana National Park late one evening.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (with Canon 500D close up filter) ISO 200, f/22 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-800 flash units
This is a western grebe, the largest of the many species of grebe. I photographed this one in Moss Landing, California at a place called Elkhorn Slough. In addition to the occasional grebe, Elkhorn Slough is also a great place to see sea otters, harbor seals and sea lions.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second
Jackrabbits can be formidable beasts. This one seems to be doing its best to display its impressive physique, like a dog at Westminster. When running, they almost look like mini antelopes bounding through the desert.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second
Late spring in Wyoming can mean any kind of weather. A sudden blizzard moved through the area as I drove from Yellowstone down to Grand Teton National Park. These two female elk didn’t seem to mind one way or the other.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 240mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/160th of a second
I caught this leatherback hatchling, enveloped in a wave, just as it was about to get swept out to sea. Here’s to hoping the rest of the journey is as successful as the initial dash from the nest to the ocean. As with all my photos over the last couple of weeks, click for a much larger view.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 1600, f/2.8 at 1/500th of a second
I believe this to be a lizard in the Gonocephalus genus, commonly known as an angelhead lizard. This is another one from Sumatra in Indonesia and it was photographed just outside the front door of my bungalow.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 1600, f/2.8 at 1/60th of a second