This female white-handed gibbon was striking quite a few poses high in the tree tops of Kaeng Krachan National Park in Thailand. She was actually partaking in the morning ritual of marking her territory with a series of vocalizations and calls with her mate and offspring. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/200th of a second
I liked the name of this butterfly that I photographed in Thailand — the Paris Peacock. I wanted to capture the brilliant green of the topside of the wings, while also displaying the underside with the colorful rings along the back edge. The Paris Peacock also has two large turquoise patches on the topside of the wings, which are impossible to see from this angle. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/40th of a second
I had a lot of fun photographing this troop of stump-tailed macaques on the Malay Peninsula in Thailand — especially these youngsters who were constantly at play. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second
Here’s another look at the masked palm civet that I met near my campsite in Kaeng Krachan National Park in Thailand. He was creeping around behind a hill, no doubt wondering what all those smells were coming from the camp kitchen. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/18 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units
There are quite a few species of bulbuls — 130 or so — spread across Africa, the Middle East and tropical Asia. I photographed this guy, the flavescent bulbul, in Kaeng Krachan National Park in Thailand. Flavescent means yellowish, an accurate description for this yellow and grey bird. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second
This is one of those creatures — like many reptiles — that gets a lot of names, creating some confusion for a guy like me who attempts to be as accurate as possible with these daily posts. I believe, although I could be wrong, that this is the lizard classified as Calotes Emma. If so, it goes by the common names of Emma Gray’s forest lizard, crested forest lizard, Emma Gray’s crested forest lizard, or spiny-headed forest lizard. The Emma Gray part of the name, is in honor of English conchologist Maria Emma Gray, who’s husband named said lizard. And if you’re wondering what a conchologist is, well, one who studies conchs, of course. But back to the lizard — this one was photographed on a hike in the Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 300mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/80th of a second
I couldn’t find much info on the white-banded awl butterfly, but my guide got pretty excited when we found this one in Kaeng Krachan National Park in Thailand. He said that it was a very rare find, although not quite as rare as the emerald awlet that I posted back in November. I spent quite a bit of time on the ground with my macro lens before the awl finally landed close enough for some proper shots. I’m not sure what the behavior was all about, but it kept emitting that green fluid from its proboscis and then presumably sucking it back up again. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 105 macro lens, ISO 800, f/5 at 1/160th of a second
This stump-tailed macaque seemed to have come to a sudden realization that something was wrong. Who knows with those macaques. Just another of the many macaque photos I took on the Malay Peninsula in Thailand. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/500th of a second
As you guys know, I don’t always post pictures that I shot the current calendar year. I often post from previous years, but I do try to continually add new photos to the collection. The following are what I consider my top twelve images that were posted — as well as taken — in 2016. I didn’t get out quite as much this year, but did manage to start the year strong with several work trips to California, another to Toronto, followed by a week in Panama, a short visit to my mother in Florida, and finally, a week in Thailand last month. Each trip is represented, and in the order that they were taken. Happy New Year everyone. Thanks for continuing to check out my daily posts. I really appreciate it and the positive feedback keeps me excited to mine my collection each night to find just the right shot.
Following a work trip to San Diego back in January, I tacked on a few days and headed north to La Jolla in search of the “Potholes” at Hospitals Reef. On the way, I caught this morning glimpse of Brandt’s cormorants nesting on a cliff while a Western gull flew past. (Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 400, f/11 at 1/100th of a second.)
And below is the aforementioned “Potholes.” (Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 400, f/11 at 1/100th of a second.)
Speaking of Brandt’s cormorants, I met this bold individual two months later at El Matador Beach in Malibu. Always nice when your subject allows you to get so close that you can use a fisheye lens. (Nikon D810 with Sigma 15mm fisheye lens, ISO 200, f/22 at 1/200th of a second, Nikon SB-900 flash unit.)
In May, I headed to Toronto for a few weeks to shoot a commercial. In between our busy work schedule, I was able to explore the area’s wildlife hotspots, including several sites around Lake Ontario where I captured this mute swan at sunset. (Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/640th of a second.)
Later in the month, I headed down to Panama for a five night trip. At the top of my wish list was the keel-billed toucan. I saw quite a few at the Canopy Tower Lodge in Soberania National Park not too far from Panama City. This one was feeding on a seed from a cecropia tree. (Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/320th of a second.)
Also from the Canopy Tower was this three-toed sloth. (Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 250mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/100th of a second.)
A few hours north brought me to the town of El Valle where I spotted several canal zone tree frogs at night. (Nikon D800 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 200, f/25 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units.)
In early July, it was off to Florida for a visit to my mother. We took her to one of my favorite spots, the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. The star attraction at the refuge is the roseate spoonbill. This one was coming in for a landing near three white ibis. (Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/2000th of a second.)
My biggest trip of the year was only a week long, but I saw quite a variety of wildlife in Thailand. Especially in Kaeng Krachan National Park where I camped for three nights. Every night, Malayan porcupines came around the campsite looking for scraps. The predictability of their visits allowed me to be ready with two flash units placed in advantages locations for front and back light. (Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 210mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units.)
I also saw plenty of little creatures like this red long-horned spider. (Nikon D810 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 1600, f/6.3 at 1/60th of a second.)
I photographed five primate species, including the white-handed gibbon. (Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/5000th of a second.)
And finally, this masked palm civet who was kind enough to stop by while I had my light set up for the porcupines. (Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 290mm) ISO 400, f/18 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units.)
Here’s the fifth and final primate species that I photographed in Thailand. These guys were really habituated to people and living in and around an old temple somewhere between Bangkok and Kaeng Krachan National Park. From what I hear, they are considered sacred by some, pests by others, and useful by medical researchers for laboratory experiments because of their similarity to humans. Most of them kind of ignored that I was even there, but the young ones are always a bit curious. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/800th of a second
We use cookies to enhance your experience while using our website. If you are using our Services via a browser you can restrict, block or remove cookies through your web browser settings. We also use content and scripts from third parties that may use tracking technologies. You can selectively provide your consent below to allow such third party embeds. For complete information about the cookies we use, data we collect and how we process them, please check our Privacy Policy