American Bullfrog
It seemed like a good day for a frog. I took this one quite a few years ago in southern Indiana at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm manual focus 5.6 lens, ISO 200, f/11 at .8 seconds.
Young Male Lion
This guy was part of a pride of young male lions we encountered late one afternoon in Kenya last April. You can see his mane just starting to come in. They had been resting and playing for most of the afternoon but when the sun began to set, they got serious and went into hunt mode. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 5600, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second.
Polar Bear
Here’s one from my trip to Seal River in northern Manitoba, Canada back in 2010. The great thing about seeing polar bears at Seal River Lodge is that you get to be on ground level with them. This guy was lying down on the ice. So was I. Take a look at the size of those paws. Nikon D300 with 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/500th of a second.
Common Side-Blotched Lizard
It was a hot day in Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge, California when I spotted this side-blotched lizard basking in the sun. These guys can be quite colorful depending on the morph and stage of development. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second.
Want to See Giraffe’s Fight?
These young reticulated giraffes were sparring with each other, swinging their long necks to delivery punishing blows. Eventually a larger male came along and broke up the fight. Photographed in April of 2024 in Samburu National Reserve in Kenya. We’re still looking to fill an empty tent for our upcoming trip in June of 2025. If you or any one you know is interested, please get in touch for more details. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 115mm) ISO 180, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second.
Golden Brushtail Possum
The golden brushtail possum is a color variant of the common brushtail possum. In other words, it’s just a common brushtail possum with a fancier name. And a cooler-looking coat. This was a captive individual photographed at a rehabilitation center in Tasmania. Like so many other of the mammals I photographed in Australia, brushtail possums are nocturnal marsupials. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 20mm) ISO 1600, f/2.8 at 1/2000th of a second.
Red Fox with Grackle
I came across this red fox years ago in Delaware while visiting Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. I believe the unfortunate bird is a grackle. But there were several pups back at the den who were quite appreciative upon Mom’s return. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second.
Nine-Banded Armadillo
I photographed this nine-banded armadillo on Merritt Island in Florida. Armadillos are virtually blind, so the trick to a close approach is to position yourself downwind and stay quiet. I was both in this case, until the armadillo either heard something or caught my scent and started to sniff the air for a few more clues. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 270mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second.
Guianan Squirrel Monkey
These squirrel monkeys were daily visitors to the mango trees in the backyard of the lodge I was staying at in Guyana. They are appropriately named as they really are about the size of a common grey squirrel. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1800, f/5.6 at 1/500th of a second.
Mountain Gorilla (See One In The Wild This June)
We’ve just had a spot open up on our next Kenya/Uganda safari in June of this year. Let me know if you’d like to join us and I’ll get you the information. We’ll be doing our usual national parks in Kenya before heading to Uganda for gorillas — we can accommodate either a single person or two people sharing a tent. This silverback was photographed on our trip to Uganda in June of 2023. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 175mm) ISO 5000, f/2.8 at 1/640th of a second.