I remember how exciting it was to find these turtles when I was a kid growing up in central Connecticut. We also had snapping turtles and painted turtles, but they were more common. The real prize was the eastern box turtle. I came across this one many years later in southern Indiana — still a pleasure to watch them slowly make their way across the forest floor.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 200, f/2.8 at 1/160th of a second

You can tell that this was a very young bull due to the size of his antlers so late in the season. Of course, it didn’t stop him from mixing it up with his much older, and larger, competition for the affection of the lone cow in the area. That said, he was more of an observer than a legitimate challenger. His time will come soon enough. But he did win the award for walking through the most picturesque patch of ground cover in Chugach State Park, Alaska the morning that I was there to photograph the action.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 85mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second

Just a simple shot today of two bald eagles surveying their territory atop a pine tree in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska. Both male and female bald eagles are very similar in appearance. The females, however, are about 25% larger in size. Seeing two together like this indicates a breeding pair.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second

Another from Morro Bay. This time the otter is doing some stretching exercises. When they stretch, it always looks like they’re either praying, clapping or trying to shoot a free throw without a ball.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 3200, f/4 at 1/100th of a second

This bear was up and at it first thing in the morning, taking advantage of a low tide to do some fishing for breakfast. Lake Clark National Park in Alaska.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 310mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second

As promised, here’s another sea otter mom with pup. This time from a considerably lower angle. This little pup kept venturing out its own, but never got far before mom pulled it back in. When wet, it’s sometimes hard to distinguish where one otter ends and the other begins. Their thick coats just sort of blend together.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second

In total, I probably saw about 14 or so bears on my recent trip to Alaska. Most of them were mothers with cubs. But there were also several adolescent males around — too old to be with mom anymore, but too young to venture off deeper into the forest to compete with the older males, most of which had moved away from the coast in search of more salmon-rich rivers. The adolescent males that were around seemed to actually seek us out, preferring the safety associated with the presence of humans. This sweet young guy was hanging out very close to the lodge, content to stay put until it was time to go eat some more grass and attempt to catch some more fish.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/100th of a second

Here’s another sea otter from last weekend in Morro Bay. Always nice when the water is in shadows and the subject is getting the first, soft rays of the rising sun. Perfect conditions for both warm and cool tones.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second

I’m just back from shooting a commercial in LA. But over the weekend I had some down time so I took a trip three hours north up to Morro Bay in search of sea otters. Sea otters, of course, being one of the cutest creatures alive. But even better — sea otters with babies. I was able to get many photos, both from eye level and from above of about twenty or so different otters (at least two, if not three of the mothers seemed to have pups). Thought I’d start with this shot from a higher perspective. It was just past sunset and the water was picking up the colors from the sky above. Momma otter was making a move from the dock area at Morro Bay, out to the open water with her pup. Stay tuned for many more otter posts to come.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/160th of a second

I had one morning in Lake Clark National Park that produced a bit of color in the sky. Luckily it coincided with low tide when the bears were out in the shallow water fishing for silver salmon. I liked the pastel hues of this particular image as a mother bear snagged another snack.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/200th of a second