The Namib Desert

This week in New Jersey, the weather has been exceptionally beautiful. Temperatures have been in the high 50’s and 60’s with little to no wind. Talk about gorgeous weather! The weeks before were constant rain—everyday…ugh.

The sun on my back during my walk yesterday, reminded me of the warm Namib desert. Since Covid issues with travel, I have missed my adventures and favorite places. The Namib Desert is one of them. Below are a few images from my Namibia tours that capture that feeling of warmth. I hope that things get back on track soon, as I am having serious withdrawals.

View of Sossusvlei from the air,

One Guanaco, Two Guanaco, Three Guanaco, Four...

Guanacos are camelids that are native to South America. They are closely related to the llama. During mating season the males fight ruthlessly for mating rights over the females and for dominance— they can be fierce. I have seen and photographed them chasing and biting the testicles (to the point of drawing blood) of an opposing male. They get into such a frenzy that they often hump each other when they are not the victor. But most of the time that I have watched them, they are just mock fighting. The BBC video below shows the actions of these males. It’s hard to believe when you see them sitting on top of a mountain with a peaceful look to them.

All of the photos below were captured in Torres del Paine National Park, in Chile’s Patagonia region.

Backlit

Peaceful easy feeling…

The reflection shows another Guanaco on the hill above.

Mock fighting

The chase begins—and you better stay clear of them!

Above shows the male on top of the female with the other male humping the victorious male. The young offspring of the female looks on…

Black-browed Albatross

I photographed these Black-browed Albatross during a stay at “The Rookery” on Saunders Island, Falkland Islands. I visited the colony several times and was enamored by these beautiful sea birds. The slight bit of grey-black color lining their eyes really appealed to me. They were having several disputes over nesting sites and I watched with sheer joy as they scuffled amongst themselves.

I was shooting with a fixed lens and was not able to back away once these large birds came closer. I was perched precariously on a steep ledge and did not want to risk moving. I placed myself far enough away from their nest sites as to not disturb them, yet close enough to capture some head shots. This required slow, cautious moving so that I did not disturb any of the birds, especially those on nests. After lots of patience and a very sore bottom side I was able to capture a few close-ups. Which is your favorite? And why?

Please add your comment below and not via email as my email box is full, thanks. When commenting, be sure not to use ALL capital letters as they take up too much room in the comment section and I will have to delete it, thank you.

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20% off selected eBooks until December 10th.

Online Workshop for GWC

I will be giving an online workshop November 7th for “Girls Who Click”. This presentation style workshop is based on my eBook- “Bird Photography the Art of the Composition”. If you have not registered for this event, you can register HERE. You’ll have to follow the link for more information, I am not able to sign anyone up. Their goal is to inspire a new generation of female photographers and conservationists and the programs are geared for girls ages 13-18.

Date: November 7th, 2020

Time: 1:00pm EST

Online via Zoom

Registration is free for those eligible.

HOLIDAY SALE STARTS TODAY AND ENDS ON DECEMBER 10TH FOR SOME OF MY EBOOKS. SEE HERE FOR MORE INFO.

20% off selected eBooks until December 10th.

Gambel's Quail

All photos below were captured at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico in 2014. These are Gambel's Quail that I photographed near the entrance of the refuge. I chose to capture many different views of these adorable quail. They were a bit aggressive with each other at times and the action was so funny to watch. The first image was my very first shot. It is a traditional capture, raised foot and head turned slightly towards me. I think the feathers are striking. The second image shows a juxtaposition with two in the frame. I waited until the tail of the one bird was clear of the other. I was shooting with a 600mm lens on a tripod with the legs splayed low to the ground. I was using a mongoose head which allowed me to follow the birds with ease. The third image is an action shot and I had to stop down my aperture for more depth of field as I wanted both birds in focus as well as the perch. You can see that the birds and perch were on relatively the same plane of focus and the brush in the background and immediate foreground is out of focus. This image captured their aggressive behavior and was lots of fun to capture—it took several tries. Image four is a more creative shot where I used the foreground brush as an out of focus layer to the image and is meant to be a tight portrait.

Which do you prefer and why? Please use the comment section below to respond. My email box is full, and I will not be able to get back to you via email-thanks!

Image 1

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