Devil’s Tower was declared the first national monument in the United States by president Teddy Roosevelt back in 1906. It is comprised of igneous rock in an area which is otherwise sedimentary rock. There are several theories as to how the tower was formed, many believing that it is all that remains of an ancient volcano. You might remember it for its role in the 1977 movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I’ve been to the monument several times — this photo being taken on my most recent visit, late in the day, as the last rays of the sun illuminated the western face of the rock. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 200, f/18 at several shutter speeds (HDR image)
When it’s getting late and I just want to go to bed but haven’t posted a photo yet, it’s always a good bet to go with a lion cub. Enjoy and goodnight. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 220mm) ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/320th of a second (plus 1/3 ev)
This isn’t a great shot technically, but it was one of the most satisfying images I have ever captured. While in Australia back in 2006, I had been waking every morning at 4 AM and searching for hours for the elusive platypus. The search took me from Daintree National Park in the northeast corner of the country, to the Atherton Tablelands further inland and down to Kangaroo Island off the south central coast. Each morning I was sacrificing the best light of the day while trying to find this strange creature. I finally decided to give up and concentrate on getting shots of the animals that were easier to find, like kangaroos. I packed up my gear and was heading back to my car when I decided to check one last water hole. It was there that I spotted this guy. Experience had taught me, however, that spotting a platypus was only half the battle. I still had to get a shot before it sensed my presence and dove under never to return. I knew I might only get one shot, and this was it. I was eventually able to habituate a second platypus but the thrill of the first shot is what I remembered most. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 200, f/5 at 1/60th of a second, SB-800 flash
You don’t get to see the characteristic red feet of these two boobies, but you can see their very colorful faces. This nesting pair was in the midst of a mating display when we walked past. It was the first full day of our Galapagos trip and we were on the island of Genovesa. Top photo — Nikon D700 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 400, f/7.1 at 1/250th of a second
Bottom photo — Nikon D700 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 400, f/5 at 1/500th of a second
I came across this little guy late one afternoon in Hyacinth Valley in Piaui State, Brazil. We get the same species here in the States and I’ve photographed them in Florida, South Dakota and California. Even so, there’s something a little more exotic about them when you see them in Brazil. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/3200th of a second
I had a request for a spider today, so I’m not to blame if your preference is for something a bit more cuddly. This lovely lady is a Madagascar golden orb spider that I photographed while in Ranomafana National Park. Females like this one can be quite large — about five inches in length, while the males are much smaller. In fact, you can see a male above the female and a bit to the left. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 200, f/3.2 at 1/45th of a second (-2/3 stop ev)
When I was going through my gorilla shots last night, I came across this image of a black and white colobus monkey that I had originally overlooked. I like shots like this that show a lot of the animal’s environment — in this case a giant tree in Kibale National Park. Kibale is well known for its primates and is home to thirteen different species, including chimpanzees. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second
This is an old one that has yet to be posted to the blog. It’s from my gorilla and chimp tracking trip to Uganda back in March of 2009. At times it was very difficult to get clean looks at the gorillas in the thick forest, but all the foliage also provided nice framing when a gorilla’s head suddenly popped into a clearing. This guy was staring up at a silverback who was high in a tree. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/100th of a second (-1/3 stop ev)
We were a little worried about this young impala when we first saw it all alone out on the Laikipia plains in Kenya. After galloping around in the rain for a bit, however, it ran toward a stand of trees where we saw what must have been mom, along with a few other adults. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 300mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second
Today’s owl comes from the southern spiny forests of Madagascar. As you can see, the owl blends in well with its thorny environment. It’s called the Malagasy scops owl, but also answers to the rainforest scops owl or the Madagascar scops owl. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 100, f/5.6 at 0.5 seconds
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