I came across this little Africa barred owlet early one morning on safari. There were actually two of them in the tree and they were probably just heading out to hunt (unlike many owls they are active during the day). They live throughout sub-Sahara Africa and are only about 7 to 8 inches tall.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second
I’m usually not a big silhouette fan. If I can record at least a little detail in the shadow areas I’ll do that — but in this case, I liked the way that the eyelashes and fur were rim lit by the rising sun. Plus, this was Karen’s favorite wildlife shot from the Botswana portion of our honeymoon, so it’s about time I posted it.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/4000th of a second
A friend of mine recently asked if I ever look at giraffes or elephants while on safari and think about how amazing it is that such large beasts roam around in the wild. My answer, of course, was yes — but even more amazing to me is that this little cat that looks like it should be crawling out of a little box in my apartment, roams around in the wild amongst lions and leopards. It’s an African wildcat and it is, in fact, an ancestor of the domestic house cat. It’s believed that African wildcats were first domesticated some 9,000 years ago. They are mainly active during the night, which is when we came across this one, well after the sun had set.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-900 flash, balanced with a spotlight
This is one of my favorite images from Botswana. It was pre-sunrise and there was very little light, so even at ISO 3200 I was getting extremely slow shutter speeds. It all added up to the perfect opportunity for some panning, motion blurred shots. It was so dark, in fact, that the guide was shining a spotlight on the hyena to help me focus, and in the process, adding that extra touch of light that you see on the fur. For their part, the hyenas were quite cooperative as they raced back and forth through the shallow water. Our guide mentioned that this was very odd behavior for hyenas. They seemed downright giddy as they chased each other through the water, playing like a bunch of retriever pups at a dog run.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 3200, f/4 at 1/20th of a second
A quick break in the Botswana animal action to post a little something from the first half of our honeymoon. This is just one of the many island-scapes that I took while in Santorini, Greece. This is the classic (some might say clichéd) side of the island, Oia. More from the more remote areas of the island in future posts.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 25mm) ISO 200, f/18 at various shutter speeds (HDR image)
Each morning in Botswana I got up and out before the sunrise. That way I was in position for the incredible light that often comes at dawn. Giraffes and elephants are always good subjects for this time of day.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 140mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/1250th of a second
Not much in the wild is cuter than a baby elephant. This little guy was only a few months old according to our guide. They believe that its shortened trunk is either from a predator, or some sort of birth defect. The elephant to the right was actually one of the smaller members of the herd, so you can get an idea of just how tiny the baby is. The little trunk is dark because it was wet from drinking water.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 260mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second
Another new species for me (at least to get a photograph of) was the genet. I’ve seen them before, but usually just a quick glimpse before running away. They are strictly nocturnal and I was lucky to have my camera with me one night at dinner when I saw this guy creeping around. They are commonly called genet cats, although they aren’t technically cats. They are related to cats, but more closely to mongooses and civets.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1250, f/4 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-900 strobe
The lilac breasted roller is a common bird while on safari, and it also happens to be one of the most beautiful birds — especially while in flight.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/6400th of a second
This vulture was just hanging out waiting for something to die. I had to get down on the ground in order to position the sun behind the subject.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/8000th of a second