In my ten day safari in India, I saw a grand total of three tigers. Two males and this female. She was considerably smaller and less bulky than the males. She also offered more of an unobstructed view before disappearing into the forest. Photographed in Bandhavgarh National Park. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second.
I took this photo fifteen years ago when I was just starting out in wildlife photography. I regret that I didn’t take more than just one shot and that I didn’t get down on the level with this mudskipper to isolate the subject and blur out the background. I haven’t seen another one since. I consider this more of a document-of-seeing-the-animal type of shot than anything else. Mudskippers are interesting little creatures. They’re fish, in fact. But they are amphibious and live inside and outside of the water. As the name would suggest, they spend most of their time skipping around in mud flats. This one was in Daintree National Park in the northeast corner of Australia. But there are 32 different species of mudskipper and they range throughout the Indo-Pacific, from Africa, through Polynesia and into Australia. I figured after fifteen years, it was worth a post for the interest of the animal itself if not the skill of the photographer.Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 lens, ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/13th of a second.
I saw my first flying squirrel of the season last night while out with the dog, but wasn’t able to get a shot. Here’s one from last fall when for a two week period I was seeing them almost nightly. Next up is to try and get one flying. Nikon D500 with nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/8 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-900 flash.
A polar bear walks along the shoreline of the Hudson Bay, waiting for the water to freeze so that he can venture out to hunt for seals. Photographed at Seal River in northern Manitoba, Canada. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/500th of a second.
I believe this frog to be the species Boophis Goudotii, indigenous to Madagascar. I came across him/her on a night hike in Ranomafana National Park in the south central part of the country. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 92mm with Canon 500D close up filter attached) ISO 100, f/22 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.
As you might imagine, I get more squirrels in my camera trap than any other animal. Sometimes I find the shots quite amusing. This was one of those times. This guy seemed to pause to admire the complexity of my set up before bounding off into the woods. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 20mm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/200th of a second, Cognisys camera box, trail monitor and remote flashes.
Magellanic penguins cry out, or bray, like donkeys, earning them the nickname jackass penguin. They’re unique among the penguins on the Falkland Islands in that they don’t live in colonies, but rather burrows underground. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/250th of a second.
A leopard eyes a herd of approaching impala from her hiding spot up in a tree. She would later drop from the tree onto the unsuspecting impala. I would later go back to camp for lunch and miss all the action. You never know what might happen on safari, but patience is usually a good thing. Lesson learned. Photographed in Botswana. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/640th of a second.
The camera trap doesn’t always work out as planned. I keep a few surveillance trail cams around to see where the animals are crossing through the yard and also to monitor the effectiveness of my outdoor studio. These two black bears were in quite a playful mood as they made quick work of my camera, throwing it to the ground before actually tripping the shutter. You can see that this is a three flash set up — two hanging from trees and a third on a tripod. Of course, the light doesn’t matter if the camera is facing into the ground. Thought everyone might enjoy this look behind the scenes.
Always fun to see what the birds are up to back at the camera trap. This white-throated sparrow was frozen in action just after take off. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 20mm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/200th of a second, Cognisys camera box, trail monitor and remote flashes.