This one goes out to young Sophie Muller who requested some underwater action. We swam with these playful sea lions off the coast of Rabida Island in the Galapagos Islands. The underwater world in this location was much different than the other spots that we snorkeled. Absent was all the coral and the sea grass covered rocks. Instead, it was all turquoise water and red sand. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 800, f/9 at 1/400th of a second, Ikelite Housing and 8 inch dome port
Here’s another look at Oia, Santorini where we spent the first week of our honeymoon. Bell towers like this one are a very common site on churches throughout the island. In fact, there are more than 250 churches, mostly Greek Orthodox, on Santorini. This bell tower is one of the most commonly photographed. I took shots of it at various times of the day, but liked this one best when the sun was still high enough to provide a bit of side lighting. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 200, f/20 at 1/80th, 1/320th, 1/160th, 1/40th, and 1/20th of a second
A break in all the Botswana action for something a little closer to home. These four black bear cubs of varying ages were all playing together one afternoon on my trip to northern Minnesota back in June. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 220mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second
An elephant’s eyelashes can be quite long. They protect the eye from dust and also the sun. This guy was grazing very close to our vehicle allowing me to really zoom in on isolated areas of the face. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/1250th of a second
We saw three different species of mongoose on our Botswana trip. This is the smallest — aptly named the dwarf mongoose. In fact, the dwarf mongoose is the smallest carnivore in Africa. It preys on everything from insects, to scorpions, lizards, frogs, birds and rodents. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/500th of a second
I know, a lot of leopards lately, but if I’m going to over post a species, why not the most attractive of all the African cats. This leopard was waiting for the sun to set before heading out on a nighttime hunt. I love when the horizon is hazy at sunset and the big orange sun is fairly weak, allowing me to capture detail in the foreground. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 190mm) ISO 400, f/2.8 at 1/640th of a second
Kudu are just one of many species of African antelope we saw in Botswana. What sets them apart is their spectacular horns — at least in the male of the species — that spiral into the air, making two and half twists. The horns are often used as musical instruments in African culture. They are also used as musical instruments, or “shofars” in Jewish ceremonies, and at soccer tournaments. This guy was keeping a watchful eye out for a pack of wild dogs that were running around in the area. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 310mm) ISO 3200, f/4 at 1/160th of a second
I’m still waiting to hear about my eleven finalists in this year’s Nature’s Best/Smithsonian photo competition, but below are a few recent winners in other contests. Most you’ve probably seen before, but perhaps a few you haven’t.
The above image of bat eared fox pups that appear to share one furry body continues to do well for me. It will appear in the 2013 Africa Geographic Calendar and it also just placed in the National Wildlife Federation photo contest. Still not sure of where it placed — I’ll know come November.
The above two images placed in the top 100 in this year’s North American Nature Photographers Association (NANPA) Showcase Competition.
And the above three placed in the top 250 in the NANPA Competition.
Wildebeest don’t get much respect. Not from the predators that consider them their main food source, or from the locals who claim that they are made up of all the spare parts that the other animals didn’t want. As the saying goes, they have the tail of a horse, the quarters of a hyena, the stripes of a zebra, the mane of a lion, the horn of a buffalo, the brain of a bird, and the face of a grasshopper. All of which kind of makes me like them even more. This one was photographed at the tail end of twilight one night in the Linyanti swamp area of northern Botswana. The sexy beast was just still enough, watching a herd of elephants, to allow me to capture several exposures and combine them in post. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 70mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/13th, 1/25th, 1/50th, 1/100th and 1/200th of a second shutter speeds
This leopard had a busy morning stalking and taking down a male impala. We missed the kill, but we caught back up to her later in the day and caught her quenching her thirst. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/800th of a second
We use cookies to enhance your experience while using our website. If you are using our Services via a browser you can restrict, block or remove cookies through your web browser settings. We also use content and scripts from third parties that may use tracking technologies. You can selectively provide your consent below to allow such third party embeds. For complete information about the cookies we use, data we collect and how we process them, please check our Privacy Policy
