Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 800, f/11 at 1/15th of a second
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/320th of a second
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 175mm) !SO 400, f/8 at 1/500th of a second
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 82mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/80th of a second
These four photos have all been posted before, but I thought I’d share them again as they were all finalists this year in the BBC Wildlife Photography of the Year competition. Unfortunately, none of them made the final cut, but still a nice honor to have four make it as far as they did in what is generally considered the world’s most prestigious photography competition for wildlife. The sea lion was a finalist in the “Art in Nature” category. The Lake Granby shot was in the “Wild Spaces” category. The maned wolf was in the “Endangered Species” category. And the leaf insect was in the “Animal Portraits” category.
This black bear was just hanging out, relaxing and watching his world go round. This is another one from two weekends ago up in northern Minnesota. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 125mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/200th of a second
Where there are people eating there will be raccoons. And there were a lot of people eating in Bill Baggs State Park in Key Biscayne on Saturday. Just before the park closed for the night, I took a quick drive through and found two opportunistic raccoons canvassing the recently abandoned picnic areas. They got a little skiddish every time I got down on the ground, but eventually they relaxed and I was able to get some decent narrow depth of field, eye level shots like this one. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second
For Karen and I, the holiday weekend was all about relaxation down in the Florida Keys. But relaxation wouldn’t quite be relaxing if I wasn’t able to slip away for at least a few hours to search for wildlife. So early Saturday morning I got up before the sun and ventured into Everglades National Park where I eventually found this young, and very bold, barred owl. The owl seemed to hardly notice me as it patiently hunted for grasshoppers — and allowed frame filling portraits in the process. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/125th of a second
Bears weren’t the only creatures I came across last weekend in Minnesota. I saw quite a few painted turtles as well, usually attempting to cross the road. Have a great 4th of July everyone. See you back on Monday with more from the north woods.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second
Here’s another from this past weekend in northern Minnesota. These two young black bears seemed a bit smitten with each other. You can see the clear difference in coat colors between the two. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 82mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/200th of a second
Just back from a weekend up in northern Minnesota photographing black bears. Haven’t gone through all the photos yet, but just quickly grabbed this one of a young chocolate cub climbing down a tree. Black bears come in many colors, from black to blonde. I kind of like this chocolate color. Many more of these bears to come. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 500, f/4 at 1/400th of a second
This is an American marten, also commonly known as a pine marten. Martens have very shiny and luxuriant fur and at the turn of the century, they were nearly wiped out in North American due to the fur trade. They have since made a nice comeback thanks to conservation efforts and the population is now healthy throughout much of Canada and pockets of the United States. I photographed this one in front of a wood pile just outside of the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park in Silver Gate, Montana. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/250th of a second
This spotted hyena seemed to be waiting for the rain to let up before venturing completely out of the den. Photo taken on the Laikipia Plains of Kenya. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/320th of a second
Chameleons are among the most stealthy animals on the planet. They can completely change color to blend in with their surroundings, they have tongues that shoot out of their mouths to catch prey, and they can look in two different directions at the same time. This Parson’s chameleon was doing the latter when I took this photo — one eye staring directly into my camera, and the other checking out the situation off to the right hand side. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 lens
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