Sean Crane Photography

Blog

Dwarf Mongoose

Less favorable light than I typically like to shoot in, but at least I was able to get a clean background for this dwarf mongoose in the Okavango Delta of Botswana. Interesting fact about the dwarf mongoose — they have a mutualistic relationship with hornbills (like the one I posted on February 8th). They will forage alongside each other in order to warn one other of any approaching predators. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/1600th of a second.

Portrait of a Chestnut-Eared Aracari

Aracaris are in the toucan family. Not quite as impressive of beak, but almost. This chestnut-eared aracari landed on a branch just outside the lodge I was staying at in Brazil’s Pantanal, allowing me to capture a close up portrait. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/1600th of a second.

Potgut

Meet the potgut. At least that’s what you’d call this guy if you lived in northern Utah. Elsewhere he’s known as the chisler. But officially, he’s called the Uinta ground squirrel. We made our acquaintance in Yellowstone National Park years ago when I was on a wolf-searching mission. And that’s the great thing about wildlife photography. You may not find the species you were looking for, but it’s about all those others you find along the way. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/640th of a second.

Piping Plover

Piping Plover, Cape May, New Jersey The piping plover is a globally threatened and endangered shorebird. There are two subspecies in the United States — an eastern and midwestern variant. Pictured is the eastern subspecies, photographed at Cape May in New Jersey some years back. Conservation efforts have led to slow increases in numbers but it is feared that if those efforts stop, the trend will quickly reverse. That’s why you might see cordoned off areas of mid-Atlantic beaches during the breading season which starts in late April. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 200, f/6.3 at 1/1000th of a second.

Chameleon Eye

I took this image of a Parson’s chameleon eye at a reptile farm in central Madagascar. What is a reptile farm? Basically a zoo for reptiles and amphibians — a quick stop before heading into the next National Park. It allowed me to get some interesting close ups of the creatures I would later meet in the wild. At the time I took this photo, I didn’t have a dedicated macro lens but was instead shooting with a close up filter attached to the end of my 80-200mm zoom. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 100, f/2.8 at 1/20th of a second.

Black-Tailed Jackrabbit

Sometimes I like the direct stare at the camera, sometimes I don’t. This one I liked. Black-tailed jackrabbits are one of my favorite subjects in the desert southwest. They can be found at elevations anywhere from sea level to 10,000 feet, making them quite adaptable to their environment. The enormous ears act as radiators on very hot days, with a web of capillaries that increase blood flow and eliminate heat. This was one of those days, well over a hundred degrees in the Anza-Boreggo desert a few hours southeast of Los Angeles. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second.

Pantless Tree Frog

I’m sure there’s a good joke in here somewhere. These mating frogs are commonly known as pantless tree frogs. They are also sometimes called hourglass tree frogs but for the purposes of this post, I think the former makes more sense. Photographed in Pavones, Costa Rica. Like most tree frogs, the males are smaller than the females, sometimes giving the appearance of a juvenile riding the mother’s back. At least that’s what I thought at first, before educating myself on the amorous proclivities of amphibians. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.

King Colony

This king penguin colony looked like a gathering for an outdoor music festival. But with penguins. There was certainly a lot of activity going on. The growing chicks (all those wearing brown coats) were in various stages of molting — you can see all the white feathers on the ground — while the parents were busy feeding their demanding brood. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 98mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/400th of a second, graduated neutral density filter.

Cheetah on the Savanna

A young cheetah surveys the landscape of Lewa Conservancy in Kenya. November is my favorite time to visit eastern Africa. The short rains are still in effect, but most days are sunny with cloudy blue skies and the landscape is lush and green. As for the cheetah, she had recently been reintroduced into the wild, but was still very trusting of humans — thus the wide angle perspective. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/1250th of a second.

Airborne Squirrel

I get a lot of squirrels in my camera trap. Too many. But sometimes I catch something new (at least for me). I have many action shots of squirrels running up this fallen tree, but there’s always at least one foot on the ground. Finally got one fully airborne. Back to more exotic wildlife in the next post. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 20mm lens, ISO 500, f/14 at 1/200th of a second, Cognisys camera box, trail monitor and remote flash units.

« First ‹ Prev 67 68 697071 72 73 Next ›Last »