Some days just call for a portrait of the massive head of a hippopotamus. We saw this guy as we were leaving for the airstrip on our last day in the Masai Mara back in June. Always nice to see them out of the water (and at such close range). In case you’re wondering, a hippo’s head can be 3 feet wide and weigh up to 500 pounds.Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 8000, f/5.6 at 1/250th of a second.

Another of the specialties of northern Kenya is the Somali ostrich. Males, like this one, have bluish legs and neck on either side of that ball of black and white feathers. My sister and I got out early with our guide and caught this one strutting in front of Samburu’s iconic pyramid-shaped mountain. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 165mm) ISO 220, f/5.6 at 1/500th of a second.

Here’s another look at a vulturine guineafowl. These guys are a specialty of Samburu National Reserve in the north of Kenya. Odd looking? Yes. Beautiful? Also yes. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 4000, f/5.6 at 1/1600th of a second.

Here’s another zebra. This time, first thing in the morning as the sun was starting to color the sky above the Masai Mara in Kenya. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 94mm) ISO 64, f/2.8 at 1/250th of a second.

We spent a lot of time with this lion capturing images from many angles. She was in such a great position on what could best be described as a grassy mesa rising from a river bank in the Masai Mara. Eventually she climbed down, walked along the river and up another steep bank. Hiding nearby in the bushes was a male, sleeping through it all. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 140, f/8 at 1/800th of a second.

Reticulated giraffes in Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve are always alert to predators, and a leopard in the area can make them visibly uneasy. They will stand tall, scanning the bush with their excellent vision, and may even stare fixedly in the direction of a hidden leopard, sometimes giving away the big cat’s location to other animals on the savanna. And to our guide and us. We knew the leopard was in the area and hiding somewhere in the thick bushes. The giraffes non-wavering gaze gave us our starting point. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1400, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second.

Oxpeckers and zebras share a classic African symbiosis. Oxpeckers perch on zebras’ backs, feeding on ticks, flies, and other parasites that bother the zebra, which gives the bird a reliable food source and the zebra some relief from pests. Beyond grooming, oxpeckers also act like little sentinels, raising alarm calls when danger approaches, which can alert the zebra to predators. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm lens, ISO 4000, f/5.6 at 1/250th of a second.

This was the big male leopard we saw on our June trip to Kenya. He was actively moving around so we were able to get images of him in multiple settings, including walking straight toward camera. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 720, f/5.6 at 1/1600th of a second.

Ordinarily I try to avoid completely white, blown out backgrounds like this when I capture birds in flight. But with a bird as colorful as the lilac-breasted roller, that white backdrop simply gets out of the way and lets the bird’s wings have all the attention. Photographed on the Masai Mara of Kenya back in June.Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1100, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second.

Ever really look at an elephant’s tail? It’s tipped with a tuft of coarse hair that works like a flyswatter to keep biting insects away. Calves often hold onto their mother’s tail while walking, using it as a guide and reassurance in the herd. Elephants also use their tails for communication. A relaxed, gently swinging tail signals calm, while a stiff or rapidly swishing tail can show agitation or warning. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 720, f/5.6 at 1/3200th of a second.