It just seemed like kind of a duck day today. This female mallard was coming in for an icy landing with a few of her friends walking below. I was in the town of Delta, British Columbia, just south of Vancouver. (Good luck today Dad).
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/1000th of a second
Galápagos giant tortoises are impressive creatures. First characteristic of note is their immense size. They can reach nearly 900 pounds and grow to six feet long. Also impressive is their life span. They live well into their hundreds, and one captive individual even made it to his 170th birthday. I photographed this guy at a pond in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island, the second largest island in the archipelago. There were about ten tortoises cooling off during the heat of mid day.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 35mm) ISO 800, f/14 at 1/320th of a second
This black bear seemed a bit uncertain as to the stability of the tree it was about to climb. I took the photo at a place called the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary in Orr, Minnesota. The bears are wild, but are enticed to the area by the food that is left out for them in the forest.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 270mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/100th of a second
On Monday I posted a photo of my cat and vowed that starting Tuesday I would get back to my routine of only posting wild animals. Then my favorite six-year-old friend requested a seahorse. I’ve never photographed seahorses in the wild, but I have photographed them at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. So I guess I lied. My apologies. Here are three photos, the first and third of a short-snouted seahorse, and the second of a weedy sea dragon.
First shot — Nikon D700 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 1600, f/3.2 at 1/60th of a second. Second shot — Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 35mm) ISO 1600, f/2.8 at 1/320th of a second. Third shot — Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 22mm) ISO 1600, f/2.8 at 1/200th of a second.
Nothing tricky here, just a straight on portrait of America’s fastest land animal, the pronghorn.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/320th of a second
This handsome little guy is a red-fronted brown lemur. And like all lemurs, he lives in Madagascar. If there’s one country I need to get back to some day, it’s Madagascar — my favorite exotic place (so far) on earth.
Nikon D40X with Nikkor 18-55mm lens (at 26mm) f/4 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-800 flash
First, thanks everyone for the kind words on yesterday’s post. Today, it’s back to the wild for this mother bison and her calf. I recorded this shot back in June, early in the morning as the sun was rising over the Badlands.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/8000th of a second
Those of you who have followed my blog for a while know that I don’t post pictures of captive or domesticated animals. But with the passing of our beloved Lola this weekend, it seemed appropriate to suspend those rules for a day. Lola was a true house cat — her only glimpses of the outside world coming from the windows of the five New York apartments that she called home during her seventeen plus years. That being said, I saw her often in the wild. In the playfulness of a cheetah in Kenya. The inquisitiveness of a leopard in Botswana. The hours spent lazing in a favorite spot of a jaguar in Brazil. The body language of a bobcat in southern California. And the sheer physical resemblance to the many wild cats that I’ve photographed from India to Costa Rica. There’s no doubt that they are all related in some way or another. Here’s to the felines. And especially the one that brought us so much joy over the years. Sleep well Lola.
These three cheetahs brothers seemed full of confidence and on a mission as they marched past our safari vehicle. About half an hour later, I saw them again and watched as they chased down a herd (or dazzle as it’s more commonly known in Africa) of zebras. The chase — unfortunately for the cheetahs, but fortunately for the zebras — was unsuccessful. With their extreme speed, cheetahs are efficient hunters, but even so, only make a kill about fifty percent of the time.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/200th of a second
There are always plenty of ground birds around while on safari in Africa. Most get overlooked thanks to all the amazing large mammals diverting everyone’s attention. Among the many such birds we saw in Kenya were these yellow necked francolins, or as they’re otherwise known, spurfowl. Francolins are often referred to as African roadrunners as they always seem to be scurrying along in front of safari vehicles. I was able to catch this guy off to the side, resting in the green grass, creating a nice contrast to the red and yellow of the head.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/320th of a second