The following is a photo essay that I wrote a few years back celebrating the diverse, yet universal nature of motherhood. Click on the photo to open the article in a new browser window (might take a few seconds) or right click to download as a pdf. And all those mothers out there, especially my own, have a great day on Sunday.
This is one of the more rare creatures that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in the wild. It’s official name is the small Sulawesi cuscus (also known as the Sulawesi dwarf cuscus, or simply small cuscus). It’s a marsupial that lives on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Its survival is threatened by hunting and loss of habitat due to agriculture and logging. This is the only one that I saw in my four day trip to the island.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/400th of a second
Anyone who has been on an African safari knows that warthogs can be vastly underrated and under appreciated. Sure, they aren’t the prettiest on the savanna, but they make up for it in personality. This one appeared to be directing traffic as a herd (or dazzle) of zebras passed by.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second
This little guy is a Magellanic snipe. In total there are about 25 different species of snipe in the world. The Magellanic can be found throughout South America, a couple of Caribbean islands, and also in the Falklands where I photographed this one. With each species, it’s all about the beak. They use it to probe beneath the soil — sewing machine style — in search of insects. Apparently the beak is much more complex than it appears and has sensory filaments that can distinguish larvae and other food sources beneath the soil even if they are out of sight. Snipes are also well camouflaged and blend in with the ground, which is where they spend the majority of their time.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second
Female snapping turtles will travel long distances to find suitable sandy habitat to lay their eggs. Covered in mosquitoes, this one was no exception. From what I could tell, the nearest water was at least a mile away. I got down on the ground to get an eye level perspective of her journey through Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second
This lone gentoo penguin was rushing to catch up with the rest of the colony after a long afternoon at sea. The sun had set, but there was still a bit of nice color in the sky as I used a dual flash setup to illuminate the penguin.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 35mm) ISO 800, f/7.1 at 1/250th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units
I love armadillos. There are about 20 different species of them in the world. The most common here in the US is the nine-banded armadillo. I photographed this one on Merritt Island on the east coast of Florida. Nine-banded armadillos also happen to be the most far ranging species of armadillo in the world, with populations as far north as Nebraska and as far south as Uruguay.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 22mm) ISO 800, f/3.2 at 1/500th of a second
The pre-dawn mist created a nice atmospheric setting for this snowy owl perched on a tree stump. This was from the trip a few winters back in Boundary Bay, just south of Vancouver. About twenty three owls were overwintering in the area after migrating down from parts further north.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/500th of a second
Black and white ruffed lemurs are probably the second most well known behind the ring tailed lemurs. They also happens to be the most mischievous (at least as far as I could tell). This one was checking me out as I took a few wide angle shots from directly below. I was using my backup camera with its pop up flash so the lighting isn’t ideal, but it works well enough.
Nikon D40x with Nikkor 18-55mm lens (at 22mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/60th of a second
This is the reticulated python, the longest snake in the world. They can grow up to 23 feet in length. As with all pythons, they are non-venemous constrictors. This one was stalking a group of black crested macaque monkeys in Tangkoko National Park in Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/8 at 1/80th of a second