Once the sun is down, I still like to get pictures in the blue light of early evening. Slow shutter speeds are a given at this time of day, which is why I often pan along with animals for a nice motion blurred effect. Thus was the case with this zebra, trotting along the plains in Laikipia, Kenya.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 1600, f/2.8 at .6 seconds
This hanuman langur was hanging around outside my tent late one afternoon after searching for tigers in Kanha National Park in India (I was searching for the tigers, not the langur). These monkeys were easily the most common mammals that I saw in the two national parks that I visited.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) f/4 at 1/2000th of a second
I’m not quite done with the jackrabbits just yet. Here’s another shot from last month’s shoot in the California desert. This guy was carefully considering me as I stared back at him, mimicking almost the same exact position on the ground.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) f/4 at 1/1250th of a second
Friday seems like as good a day as any to post another lion cub. This little one hails from the Central Kalahari Desert in Botswana. He/she seemed to be feeling ferociously confident — albeit hiding behind the safety of mom and dad.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 300mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second
This bighorn seemed to be paying his respects to the powers that be. He was actually just getting up after a lengthy rest. In the background you can see the characteristic eroded buttes of Badlands National Park.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second
This is one of the many tree frogs that I met on several night walks in Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica. I’m not sure of the exact species (if you do, please let me know). He was a little guy, but seemed to have a big personality as he boldly peered into the front of my macro lens.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 200, f/16 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units
I photographed this tayra in Ecuador two years ago — a difficult task because I was in thick cloud forest and also tayras happen to be very skittish around humans. They are mustelids and in the same family as weasels, otters, and ferrets. I was only able to get a few decent shots before this guy and a friend disappeared into the forest.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 3200, f/4 at 1/160th of a second
I caught this meerkat late in the day making a dash across a patch of sandy ground. Meerkats are always aware of raptors, jackals and other predators lurking about and they much prefer grassy areas to hide in as opposed to more barren desert. That being said, they’ll risk the exposure to hunt for scorpions, their favorite meal.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second
As a wildlife photographer I can’t help but assign animals to my various friends and family members. Certain people just seem like certain animals. My friend Justin, for example, is a koala. Something about him screams marsupial. Another friend, Jon, is a puffin. He just is. My sister Kerry, well, she’s clearly a burrowing owl. She always has been and always will be. Tomorrow Kerry gets married. The lucky guy is Charlie, so by association, I guess he gets to be an owl too. This one goes out to them. Congratulations and see you tomorrow. (Incidentally, tomorrow also happens to be one year since I married Karen, a lovely combination of a white tailed fawn and a cow — you know, a cute cow. Like Elsie. Happy Anniversary Baby.)
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 550mm with 1.4 teleconverter) ISO 800, f/8 at 1/1250th of a second
On Tuesday, I posted a photo of a baby black crested macaque and commented on the green eyes. This is the adult and as you can see, those eyes eventually turn a bright orange. These monkeys have such amazing faces — very human yet very cartoony at the same time. Here is the link to Tuesday’s post where you can see how much their look changes over the years.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/200th of a second