Here’s one for the insect fans. Eastern lubbers are common throughout the southeastern United States. They are very large and colorful grasshoppers and if you’ve spent any amount of time in the south, you’ve probably come across one or two. I found these two in Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park in Florida. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens, ISO 1600, f/3.2 at 1/500th of a second.
Sometimes you get so close to the elephants, you have to focus in on the details. We had this encounter in the Ol Pajeta Conservancy of Kenya last April. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/320th of a second.
I’ve seen less opossums up at my camera trap this year. This one was from 2021 when they were regularly crossing the fallen ash tree most nights. 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 flash units.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.