I’ve posted a few images in the past from this glorious morning. Here’s another frame from my favorite minus-27-degree-wind-chill day of shooting ever. In this take, the sun was still somewhat obscured by the clouds keeping the blues of the ice a softer shade of gray and the overall scene less contrasty than those previous posts. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1250th of a second.
This polar bear looks a bit more menacing than he actually was — simply yawning after a bit of a nap. Photographed at dusk near Seal River in northern Manitoba, Canada. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 240mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/125th of a second.
The day kind of got behind me today without a post. This polar bear photo was the first thing that popped up in my “to send” folder so here it is, better late than never. This guy was out looking for whatever scraps he could find while waiting for the Hudson Bay to freeze over so that he could go in search of the real delicacies — seals. Photographed up in northern Manitoba, Canada at Seal River. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 82mm) ISO 800, f/8 at 1/3200th of a second.
I’ve photographed the occasional wood duck here and there over the years, but when I visited the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Vancouver a few years back, they were all over the place. This handsome and cooperative drake even waddled toward camera while I was down on the ground, before heading off into a nearby pond. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 300mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second.
I’ve posted a few shots of short-eared owls in the past, but always in flight. I liked the looks of this guy perched, as you get to see that nice feather vest he’s wearing. This was in Boundary Bay, just south of Vancouver. A great place for snowy owls, short-eared owls, northern harrier hawks and bald eagles. All four species show up in prolific numbers during the winter months. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1250, f/5 at 1/1000th of a second.
Willow ptarmigan are ground-dwelling birds that range throughout the world’s northern regions. Like snowshoe hares and arctic fox, they adapt to their snowy environment by turning completely white in the winter months. As you can see from the bottom photo, this provides them great camouflage amidst the snow and willows where they spend the majority of their time. I photographed these ptarmigan in northern Manitoba, Canada while out searching for polar bears. Top photo: Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/200th of a second. Bottom photo: Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second.
My mother’s dog Rogan (RIP Rogan) used to sit like this and we would call it the frogger position. We like to anthropomorphize animals like that (attribute human characteristics). But since being a dog owner myself, I can’t help also seeing canine features in other animals — be it the face of a seal, the muzzle of a lion, or the resting position of a polar bear. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/320th of a second.
I took a trip to Boundary Bay, just south of Vancouver, a few years back in search of snowy owls. I had just enough light left when this one took flight above the marsh, in search of an evening snack. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm), ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/400th of a second.
This polar bear seemed to be enjoying the arctic breeze on a beautifully freezing day in northern Manitoba, Canada.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/500th of a second
A couple of polar bears crossing paths early in the morning at Seal River in northern Alberta, Canada. The bears congregate on the shoreline in October, passing the time however they can while waiting for Hudson Bay to freeze over so that they can go out and hunt for seals. It might look warm, but the wind chill was -27 degrees Fahrenheit that day.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 78mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/2000th of a second