Wildlife Photography

Welcome to my web page for nature and wildlife photography. For over the last 30 years I have been taking people on trips and photographic workshops (we call them fun shops) around the world. This page has some of these trips, with a veterinary perspective.

My veterinary degree has opened up doors on these trips that the average nature and wildlife photography does not have access to. Because of this I have unique photos and a profound understanding of the nature world. I would like to share this with you on this page.

Enjoying some brown bear viewing in Katmai National Park

If you ever join us on a trip you will learn advanced photography and get to use my professional Canon equipment on occasion. We have a ball, take tons of photos, eat like royalty, have a photo contest, give a prize to the best photo of the trip, and learn about a different culture.

I make a web page for the people that go on my trips so they can show off their photos to their friends.  Its not just a bunch of disparate pictures, its a travelog that explains each trip in detail (with a good dose of humor and laughing at ourselves sometimes). This is my version of photojournalism, and how I share my photography with others. Its a good way to educate people on what is going on in the world, particularly from the conservation point of view. You are always welcome to join us and get that special keeper you can print out and hang on your wall, or brag about at your next party.

For the people that go on my trips I put on a slide show showing off their trip to their friends on my large screen TV. This makes the pictures come to life, and when embellished just right, their friends who did not go on the trip wish they had.

This page has detailed slide shows on the following trips I have taken over the last 30 year. There will be detailed description of these trips and the people and wildlife that live there, so click on the many links to get the full story.  There is lots here, so take your time and enjoy.

Here is a list of these trips, details and photos later in this page:

• Falkland Islands
• Namibia
• Botswana
• Nomads of the Summer and the Golden Eagle Chicks
• Mongolia and the Golden Eagles
• Africa’s Lake Ndutu and the Selous
• Photographer’s Africa
• Orangutans of Borneo (2nd time)
• Arctic trip for polar bears
• Rwanda for gorillas
• Serengeti National Park for the big cats
• Hadzabe people of Tanzania
• Galapagos
• Tanzania
• Antarctica
• Wildebeest migration in Africa
• Kodiak bears of Katmai National Park
• Maneless lions of Tsavo National Park
• Orangutans of Borneo
• Black Rhino of Zimbabwe

Dr. P gives presentations on these trips frequently, check the LBAH Facebook page for the next one.

Animals on the Decline in Africa

If you are a wildlife photographer you need to think about getting to Africa soon. The abundance of wildlife, and the predator-prey relationship, is the best on the planet. It is changing dramatically though, so you cannot wait and expect it to stay this way much longer.

My primary interest in African photography is photographing the big cats in action. These photos are hard to come by, and it took me 5 trips to see my first one. The big cats are in trouble, and rapidly declining in population.

I went to Namibia in 2017 to learn about cheetah at the Cheetah Conservation Fund. More info is on the Namibia link below.

These yearling cheetah are learning how to capture a two day old Thomson’s Gazelle calf

This yearling male cheetah is taking down a three-day-old wildebeest calf on his own

A day in the life of a safari vehicle- 2 minute video

In the video we start off at 6 AM as the sun is rising. Once the sun rises, our guide, speaking in Swahili, calls other guides to see where the action is. For those of you not versed in Swahili, our guide is asking if they have seen any lions this morning. They reported nothing so far, so he is telling them I need to find something interesting to show the guests, so keep me posted.

Eventually our vehicle spins out, one of the occupants shows how breezy and bouncy it is when driving in the Serengeti, we watch a video of the Serengeti while in the Serengeti, help another vehicle stuck in the mud, drive through a flooded road, and make it home before the sun sets. A typical day in the life of  safari vehicle.

Future Trips

Our next trip to Africa will be in 2019, with plans to sedate a rhino.

We also plan on another Falkland Islands trip in Oct of 2020, this time to get up close and personal with the ginormous elephant seal males as they fight for their harems.

Contact me at vet@lbah.com if you are interested in joining us, and keep an eye out on these trips when I post them on the Facebook page of LBAH.

My Recent Trips

The Falkland Islands- A penguin and marine mammal spectacle

Namibia- Where Desert and Ocean Meet

After my Botswana trip I met up with a different assistant photographer and went to Namibia. My overall observations of Namibia are very positive; great guide, friendly people, interesting desert, and great wildlife viewing. If you like landscape photography, in addition to great wildlife viewing and photography, Namibia is for you.

Click on the picture below to see us travel the country, from the dunes to the skeleton coast to Etosha National Park (don’t miss the rhinoceros photos) to the Cheetah Center

Botswana and the Okavango Delta

Join us as we see lions, leopards, black mambas, elephants (and much more), and go to the edge of Victoria Falls

Nomads of the Summer and the Golden Eagle Chicks

After our winter trip, which you can learn about below, we went back in the summer to continue filming of our documentary movie called “The Twelfth Eagle”

Mongolia-Land of the Golden Eagles

We are making a documentary video on the Kazakhs and their golden eagles

Africa’s Lake Ndutu and the Selous

Our 8th and best trip yet, with lots of great wildlife sightings

Photographer’s Africa

My 7th time in Africa, this time working hard finding those cheetah in action as they are hunting

Back to Borneo

In October of 2012 I went back to Borneo after 21 year absence. I spent time at the Care Center working with orphaned baby orangutans and also went back to Camp Leakey.  Lots of baby photos (and videos) in this section!

Svalbard Polar Bears

The Arctic trip to see the polar bears and other marine mammals in Svalbard, Norway is one of the best wildlife trips on the planet.  Click on the cute and cuddly guy below for lots more info on this trip.

Rwanda and Serengeti

The Rwanda/Serengeti trip was my 6th to Africa and my first with gorillas. Click on the Silverback picture below to learn about this trip. There is also a link to my Serengeti trip with the big cats and my Tanzania trip with the Hadzabe hunters.

Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos trip was in March of 2010. Its a must see for anyone interested in the history of Charles Darwin and unique wildlife found no place else. Click on the picture to learn more.

Tanzania

In July of 2009 twenty of us (two groups of ten on sequential trips) went to Tanzania. Its the same trip I took 23 years ago, and it was tremendous to see it over again. 

Antarctica

Our Feb 2008 Antarctica page is up and running- Click on the penguin photo below to see the story.

Kenya

Here are pictures from our Masai Mara trip in October of 2007. View a detailed page on this trip by clicking on this funny looking guy below

Bears of Katmai

This trip was in August of 2005. This coastal brown bear weighed over 1200 pounds according to our guide. We decided it was best not to bother him while he was dining. We went back in August of 2011, and plan on going back to Alaska every few years.

Lions of Tsavo

This was a research trip in Tsavo National Park. At the end of the trip we went to the Masai Mara. This is a maneless lion protecting his kill from us.

Orangutans of Borneo (1991)

This unbelievably interesting trip was in 1991. Back in those prehistoric days there was no concept of digital photography, so all of these photos, and the black rhino slide show that follows, are from slides that were scanned.

This orang had no problems showing us how she felt about our presence!

Black Rhino of Zimbabwe

This slide show gives you a good idea of the poaching problem and why it is impossible to stop. The problem is even worse now because of the rumor in Vietnam and China that powdered rhino horn cures cancer.

Yellowstone National Park

 Click on the coyote picture below to learn about our trip in December of 2010 to see the wolves.

Practice, practice, practice

If you want to get better at your photography you need to practice with your equipment and become very familiar with it. You might also want to join us on one of our trips and go on one of our wildlife and nature workshops (oops, funshops).

People commonly ask me if they should purchase the new Canon 1Dx Mark II, Mark IV, 5D Mark III, 7D Mark II, 5Ds, 5D Mark II, Rebel, or Nikon D4, D3S, D3, etc. The most important thing though is not this equipment, it is to practice with the equipment you already have so its use becomes second nature. You need to be quick on the draw to get those wildlife photos, and that only comes with familiarity with your equipment.

Following are examples of practice photos I have taken at the Rose Bowl,  in my backyard, in a Harbor Springs in northern Michigan, and a wildlife refuge near my house called Bolsa Chica. I shoot frequently to keep my skills up, and nothing keeps your skills up better than to shoot fast moving birds (called birds in flight- BIF). Getting them in focus and properly exposed is a fun challenge.

Can you identify the following birds from Bolsa Chica? I will give a partial answer on each one.

Heron

Hummingbird

Grebe

Kingfisher

Heron (with hapless gopher)

Hawk

Egret

Skimmer

Heron

Harrier

Pelican

Pelican

If you have a friend that is a falconer you can practice on these fast and erratically flying birds. Click on the photos to see a larger version.

These shots are from northern Michigan in a town called Harbor Springs.  It is oh so quaint (think of a Norman Rockwell painting),  and an outdoors and wildlife mecca

Fall colors and snow

Downtown Harbor Srings

Horse farm around town

Kestrel with breakfast

Bald eagle with lake trout

Beaver with breakfast

Shores of Little Traverse Bay

Larks lake

Nubs Nob ski area

Fall colors from the top of Nubs Nob

Deer at the Maple river

Female elk near in Pigeon River State Forest

Sandhill crane

Great blue heron flying at Larks Lake

Skipper, my neighbor

Fall colors near Larks lake

Larks lake in the fall

Kit fox at Nubs Nob

Its parent kept an eye on me while it was getting enough food to feed 3 hungry stomachs

Click the Osprey picture below to see lots more wildlife and scenery of northern Michigan

I have been invited to assist Peter Read Miller and his fellow Sports Illustrated photographers at the Rose Bowl. He is a Canon Explorers of Light member, along with other famous wildlife photographers like Art Wolfe, Frans Lanting, and Paul Nicklen. He went to Kenya with me, and of course he brought back some awesome photos.

One of his more unique shots from the Masai Mara. It is a Tawny eagle chasing a Nubian vulture away from its nest

Here I am at the 2010 Rose Bowl hours before the fans show up. This is some of the equipment Peter uses during a game.

Things get a bit more crowded in the end zone when the game starts

USC’s John David Booty in a classic quarterback pose

USC versus U of M (the University of Michigan)

Vince Foster scoring the winning touchdown at the 2006 BCS Championship Game at the Rose Bowl

Reggie Bush running for a score at the 2006 BCS Championship Game at the Rose Bowl

Cameras

My current wildlife camera is the Canon 1Dx Mark II. The ultimate test for autofocus and freezing wildlife in action is fast flying birds (BIF), and this camera is the best one I have ever used for this. It does many things well, and is highly customizable to your individual style of shooting. It weighs a lot, is built like a tank, and the battery lasts a long time. If you are serious about your wildlife camera, this camera, or the earlier version 1, is the way to go.

Click on the photo for a larger version

They don’t get much faster or more erratic than a black skimmer returning from feeding as it streaks past your vantage point on a windy day at Bolsa Chica. It is the autofocus that has this bird in tack sharp focus, and the frame rate that froze this bird with a nice pose. 

My friend Les took this bear shot with the 1Dx and 500mm

My other primary cameras are the Canon 1Dx and the Canon 5D Mark IV. I use the Canon 7D Mark II as a backup camera and when I need more reach.. The 1.6X FOV crop factor will be highly beneficial in adding focal length to my 500 mm lens. I also have the Canon 400MM DO version II lens. Its light weight compared to my 500 will be highly advantageous.

Lenses- Here are my primary wildlife lenses

Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II

I now use the Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II lens. Its light weight at 400mm, and its quality, make it my lens of choice when I am need to be mobile and flexible. Examples might be when I am in a kayak, or when I am hiking for long distances. I routinely use it with a 1.4X TC or a 2X TC. This gives me up to and 800mm f.8 on my 1 Dx Mark II. It is the only telephoto lens I used on my Botswana and Namibia trips in 2017.

I was in a kayak when I took this photo of a bald eagle giving me an earful for getting too close to his nest. The size and weight of this lens let me move around in the kayak to get this photo 

The smaller size of this setup allows for easier travel and since it is light and flexible also allows you to forego a tripod, especially when photographing birds in flight (BIF), one the most difficult wildlife to photograph. I also use it when I am in a kayak.

This is a potent wildlife camera/lens combination for a wide variety of uses

This Pileated woodie was taken with the 400mm DO

This tern was taken with the 400mm DO and 2X TC in a kayak. It’s hard to find a more erratically flying bird.

Canon 500 mm f/4  IS II

Version II of the 500mm is my current wildlife lens of choice, sometimes used with the 1.4X teleconverter. I use the 500mm it for all my wildlife work when I am was not hiking or in a kayak, in which case I used the 400 mm DO described above. I also purchased it so all of the attendees of the Yellowstone and Africa trips and workshops can get a chance to use such a superb wildlife lens.

If you are going to Africa and want to come back with outstanding photos this is a great lens. I sometimes use it with a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod and a Wimberely or sidekick head. This tripod is light, very strong, and can easily hold the weight of this lens. The Wimbereley head makes the lens “float” on the tripod, and is a joy to use. When I travel with it I bring a lightweight Gitzo tripod and use an Arca Swiss ballhead and the Wimberely Sidekick.

My assistant photographer is using this setup to photograph owls in Harbor Springs, Michigan as she is training to go to Botswana with me

An industrious beaver shot with the 500mm and 1.4X TC

An eagle at well over 150 yards away with the 500mm and a 2X TC

Canon also makes a 600 mm lens, which some would argue is the wildlife lens of choice. To me the 500 mm is a much better compromise regarding size, weight, power, and cost. Don’t forget how important weight can become as they day goes on, especially if you are walking with this lens, a heavy camera, and a tripod, over your shoulder.

Canon also makes an 800 mm f/5.6 lens. I have used it and it is awesome for wildlife. I rented one and used it extensively for the polar bear photos.

I brought the 500 on all my Africa trips for everyone to use. It has Image Stabilization (IS) so you can hand hold it on occasion, although a tripod or steady support are recommended. We will almost always be using it from the Land Rover without a tripod since we can easily steady it (as long as the other people in the vehicle are not moving around) with a bean bag. You can see this if you link to the 2007 Masai Mara page.

Striped Kingfisher taken with the 500

Canon 300 mm f/2.8  IS II

Optically speaking professional photographers feel this is the finest lens in the Canon arsenal. It is highly prized for outdoor sports photography because it focuses rapidly, the large aperture can blur the background and the pictures it produces are outstanding. Version II of this lens is possible the best lens Canon manufacturers.

Lenses like this one, and the following one, take practice to learn how to use them properly. They are larger than the lenses most people are used to, and need steady support like a tripod or monopod in many cases, although you can hand hold the 300 mm easily for short periods of time. Keep in mind that 300 mm is oftentimes not enough power for wildlife, and this lens is commonly used with the 1.4X teleconverter to make up for this deficiency. I used this lens on the Antarctica trip to take the picture of the whale tails.  I also used this lens to take the hummingbird picture above.

Reddish Egret taken with this lens and a 1.4X TC at Bolsa Chica in California

The most important part of your purchase in a digital SLR camera setup is the lens. You should budget for a high quality lens before the camera body. All too often a nice camera is used with a mediocre lens, negating the potential of the camera. Canon makes a series of nice consumer grade lenses. The 75-300, 100-300, 28-135, 55-250, and the 18-55 all give you a nice picture.

If you want to get the most out of your expensive camera you need to upgrade to Canon’s L series of lenses. This is their professional lens series, and will give you pictures of better quality. You will notice the following lenses all have a red ring around the front of the lens. This denotes Canon’s professional series lenses, and are also called “L series” lenses in the Canon world. When it comes to lenses, the axiom “you get what you pay for”, certainly applies.

If there is a green ring around the lens it is one of Canon’s DO (Diffractive Optics) lenses. This makes them lighter. I have the EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II lens. It is awesome, and I use it when weight is a factor. It works especially well with my Canon 7D Mark II, because I get the equivalent of 640 mm due to the 1.6X FOV crop factor with the 7D Mark II.

Lenses can be a fixed focal length or a zoom.The fixed focal length lenses (also called prime lenses) sometimes produce a higher quality photo. An example of a popular prime lens is 300 mm. This is equivalent to 6x binoculars. It is not a zoom, it is fixed at 300mm, and you have to personally move farther or closer to your subject if you need to change the composition.

Sometimes this is easily remedied by changing the fixed focal length lens rapidly to one of more or less magnification. This  assumes you have the money to purchase several lenses, the inclination to carry them around, and the time to change them on your camera. In a dusty environment like Africa, removing the lens from the camera when you are changing it can cause problems for the camera by letting dust inside. I must admit to missing many a good picture while changing one of these lenses because the wildlife action does not stop while you are changing lenses.

The zoom lenses are more flexible, and you won’t miss as many photos because now you can zoom in and out and not have to personally move to change the composition. Since most of us are not shooting for professional publications and don’t need that extra minor difference in quality, the quality of the zoom lenses will more than suffice and will yield amazing photos.

Canon 70-200mm f/4  or f/8 Image Stabilized (IS)

This lightweight and relatively inexpensive zoom lens will cover a wide range of photographic needs. It is  recommended for general travel photography and takes great photos. If you can only purchase one lens for all your photographic needs this is the one if weight is important and you are not shooting wildlife at a distance.

The lens can keep an aperture of  f/4 all the way from 70 mm to its maximum of 200 mm. This differentiates it from a consumer grade lens, and is consistent across the Canon line of “L” series zoom lenses. It does not have enough focal length for wildlife photography in general, it is a compromise for someone needing a lens for general purpose photography and wildlife lens that is light and inexpensive.

The f/2.8 version of this lens is even better, as long as you are OK with the added weight and cost. This is the one I bring on my trips.

Canon 24-105mm f/4 Image Stabilized (IS)

This relatively lightweight wide angle zoom has great image quality when you need to get a wide field of view. I used it often on my Tsavo trip, Antarctica trip and in Galapagos. Whenever I am shooting I always leave the house with this lens, no matter which camera I have or my subject matter. It is awesome on the 5D Mark IV and 5D Mark III, 1Dx, and 1Dx Mark II, yet it can zoom to 105 mm.

This lens was used to take this photo of the lake where the above eagles had their nest

Canon 135mm f/2.0

This very high quality prime lens is used when you want pictures of tremendous sharpness. I use it for many of my portrait shots. It excels in low light situations because of its f/2.0 aperture. When you are using flash at night the big aperture gives it more power to illuminate further in the distance. If you are photographing wildlife with a cluttered background this large aperture lens allows you to blur the background and eliminate the distracting clutter.

The  photo at the top of this page with the lion over the cape buffalo was taken with this lens. It was a night shot, and since we didn’t dare get too close to this lion and his kill, I had to shoot from a distance that was at the maximum range of my flash. Having the larger aperture (f/2.0) of this lens gave me enough flash power to get the photo properly exposed.

Many of the gorilla shots were with this lens because we were in the darkness of the jungle and were not allowed to use flash. This lens saved the day on this trip because flash is not allowed. It is also great at concerts, museums, churches and plays when flash is also not allowed.

Many of the gorilla photos, like this female with two-day-0ld twins, that was hiding from us in the dark forest, were taken with this lens

 Canon 100 mm f/2.8 macro

For closeup (called macro) photography you need a specialized lens. I use the Canon 100 mm f/2.8.  You will need to practice with this lens because focusing can be difficult due to the limited depth of field. A tripod is highly recommended. I use it for all the medical work at Long Beach Animal Hospital. Click on the Disease Section at the top of this page to see these photos, along with the Facebook link at the top right of this page.

Here is my 5D Mark IV with a macro lens attached to a ring flash

Flash is important in macro photography. One of the best ones regarding portability, ease of use, and cost, is a ring flash.

 

A bee on a flower

I use the macro lens for most of my photography at the Long Beach Animal Hospital, especially surgery pictures.

This lens is also a wonderful portrait lens

We even take animal portraits with this lens!

Flash

This is a good time to touch on flash photography. If you are interested in wildlife or sports photography you need a good external flash. I keep mine available at all times when I am shooting, even in daylight. I use professional external flashes (also called strobes) on all my workshops and will teach everyone how to use it in daylight and evening. When you want additional reach, and are using a lens of 300mm or longer, the Better Beamer will help extend your reach.

The primary flash is use is the 600 EX. It has significant power to reach those elusive animals that hide in trees and bushes

 

One of those elusive night creatures you can surprise with a flash like this and a good lens.  Do you know what this creature is?

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