It was early in the morning down at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware when I saw this red fox trotting along the side of the road with what appears to be a female red-winged blackbird in its mouth. She was heading back to her den where two pups were waiting for their breakfast.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second
This was the last morning of our trip to Botswana. Much like the first five mornings, a big orange sun rose at six a.m. into a cloudless sky. The sun was still low enough for some decent shots when we came across a solitary giraffe. I was hoping the big guy would entertain us with a drink at the water hole, but he seemed a bit timid, perhaps because he was on his own in an open area and sensed danger. Giraffes put themselves in a vulnerable position when they splay their legs and take the considerable effort to quench their thirst. Instead, I took a few portraits and we moved on.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 130mm) ISO 560, f/22 at 1/20th of a second
When I went trecking for chimpanzees in Uganda, getting good photos proved more difficult than I had thought. More often than not, the chimps were high in the canopy of very large trees, with a bright white sky as a backdrop. That being said, I was able to get a few decent shots. I kind of liked the way that in this particular shot, the fig eating chimpanzee is emerging out of that field of black that dissects the composition.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/250th of a second
Time to show the invertebrates a little love. I spotted this cool little weevil beetle while hiking in the cloud forest of Ecuador. Not sure of the exact species, but always nice to be able to use natural light in combination with my macro lens (more often than not, I’m using the macro to photograph frogs and other small creatures at night).
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 1600, f/4.5 at 1/50th of a second
I feel for animals whose official name starts with the word “common.” As if they’re not as worthy of our attention. Thus is the case with Australia’s common brushtail possum. I guess it’s appropriate, however, as this is the most widely seen possum species not only in wild, forested environments of the country, but it is also seen quite regularly in urban areas. I much prefer the Latin name Trichosurus vulpecula, from the Greek for “furry tailed” and the Latin for “little fox.” As for the above furry-tailed-little-fox, he was spotted while creeping around in a tree outside of the lodge I was staying at on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 155mm) ISO 200, f/5 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-800 flash
There are about ninety different species of kingfisher distributed throughout the world. They occur on every continent except for Antarctica. It’s always a pleasure to spot one, usually perched above a body of water, intensely watching for fish below. Here are just two of the brightly colored kingfishers that I’ve seen. The top image, a green-backed kingfisher, was photographed in Indonesia and the bottom, an Amazon kingfisher, was photographed in Brazil.
Top: Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/40th of a second
Bottom: Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm), plus Nikkor 1.4x teleconverter (total of 550mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/500th of a second
When people ask me about the best time to visit Africa, I always recommend the short rainy season in November — because you get skies like this. Most tour companies recommend visiting in the dry season because animals become more visible as they congregate around water holes. This is true to a certain extent, but you also have to deal with dry, dusty conditions, and a less than ideal landscape. In November the hills are lush and green and the true beauty of Africa is revealed.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 140mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second
Must be tough being a penguin and getting an itch on the side of your face. This little guy was doing his best to take care of the situation when we floated by. The location was Tagas Cove, on Isabella Island.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 240mm) ISO 400, f/9 at 1/1250th of a second
This little white-lined leaf frog was enjoying a pleasant evening in the Bolivian rain forest and was kind enough to pose for a few photos. As with most of my macro/nocturnal photography, I was using a two flash set up, which can sometimes give a bit of a studio look. The venemous pit viper that was watching from about twenty feet away, however, made it quite clear that this was not a studio.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 175mm) ISO 200, f/18 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-800 flash units on a Really Right Stuff bracket, Canon D500 close up filter
This cold morning reminds me of another cold morning a few years back when I was in Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico photographing sandhill cranes and snow geese. Each morning the snow geese would blast off en masse from the area’s ponds and lakes and take to the skies in large flocks. I used a slow shutter speed in this shot and panned with the flight of the geese to create blurred motion.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/13 at 1/40th of a second