PHOTO OF THE MONTH
This section will have a new image posted every month from a location I have visited. Previous months images can be assessed by clicking the thumbnails at the bottom of this page.
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March 2010 - This month the image is: Male Hooker Sea Lion (Phocarctos hookeri) South Island, New Zealand
The Hooker Sea Lion is the world's most threatened and rarest sea lion. Breeding occurs only in a few locations and the population numbers are relatively low in comparison to other sea lions and seal species. The hooker is a very large sea lion reaching 450 kilograms (990 pounds) in weight. The hooker is listed as threatened under the New Zealand Marine Mammal Protection Act and the IUCN Red Book classifies the hooker as vulnerable (CANON 1D SMK3, 70-200mm 2 f2.8 lens at 1/1800th @ f9, ISO 400).
February 2010 - This month the image is: Mating Nudibranchs (Risbecia tryoni) Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
Two nudibranchs (Family Chromodorididae ) engaged in mating behaviour. The white syphon is the genatialia of the male. The small cleaner shrimp is an Imperial Shrimp which lives in a symbiotic relationaship with the nudibranch. The shrimp clean the gills and skin of the nudibranch and feed on detritus. (CANON 5D, 100mm f2.8 lens at 1/160th @ f13, ISO 100, Subal Housing, twin inon strobes).
January 2010 - This month the image is: Polar Bear Mother & Cub (Ursus maritimus) Arctic Circle, Canada
Photographed above the Arctic Citcle in Canada a mother polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) walks in time with her 2nd year cub. (Canon 1D S MK3, 500mm f4 lens 1/600th @ f4.5, ISO 400).
December 2009 - This month the image is: Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) Arctic Circle, Canada
Photographed above the Arctic Citcle in Canada a male polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) drags the remains of a 1st year cub along the snow. Polar bear infanticide and cannibalism is a relatively uncommon event and a possible cause maybe global warming and the delay in the formation of sea ice. The bears are very hungry and are waiting to roam the sea ice in search of ringed seals. Delays in ice formation only lead to further hunger (Canon 1D S MK3, 300mm f2.8 lens 1/300th @ f4, ISO 400).
November 2009 - This month the image is: Tasmania Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) resting, northern Tasmania, Australia
The Tasmanian devil is endemic to the state of Tasmania and is threatened with extinction due to the Facial Tumour Disease which has affected roughly 50% of the devil population (Canon 1D SMK3, 70-200mm f2.8 lens at 200mm 1/250th @ f4, ISO 400).
October 2009 - This month the image is: Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) collecting cones, Devils Tower National Park, Wyoming, USA
I watched this little fellow collecting cones and nuts for some time. He was making several caches of food for the upcoming winter in several discreet locations. As with all wildlife, the key to a successful image is to know your subject's behaviour and have the patience to wait until the best time to trip the shutter at the correct time (Canon 1D MK2N, 70-200mm f2.8 lens at 200mm 1/60th @ f4, ISO 400).
September 2009 - This month the image is: Coral Polyps in Black and White, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
The image was taken underwater on a recent diving trip to Papua New Guinea. I was attracted to the image by the symmetry of the polyps and how they angled downwards toward the lower centre of the image. Although the colour image was acceptable, I thought a black and white allowed for the symmetry to be more adequately conveyed. Polyps are the small coral animals that create the coral reefs. The polyps make hard limestone cases to protect themselves by extracting calcium from seaswater. Each polyp is a sepreate animal and they live in a colony creating what we know as a reef structure (Canon 5D in Subal housing, 100mm f2.8 lens 1/100th @ f22, ISO 100 & illumination from twin Inon strobes).
August 2009 - This month the image is: Cuttlefish (Sepia sp.) - Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea (PNG)
I noticed this small cuttlefish hiding amougst staghorn coral during a late afternoon dive. The pigments of the cuttlefish changed colours as I positioned myself for the photograph. Cuttlefish are related to squid and octopus and are highly intelligent creatures. As their mood alters their pigments change colour. (CANON 5D, 100mm f2.8 lens at 1/200th @ f8, ISO 100, Subal Housing, twin inon strobes).
JULY 2009 - This month the image is: Feathery Predator, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
Lionfish (Pterois volitans) are canivorous predators that feed on small fish which they engulf with their exceptionally large mouths. Once a prey fish is sighted, the lionfish will wave its feathery arms in an effort to almost hypnostise the prey. When within range the lionfish will spring forward, opening it mouth whilst at the same time sucking in water. The suction and movement is what captures the prey. The spines are highly venonomous. (CANON 5D, 100mm f2.8 lens at 1/200th @ f8, ISO 100, Subal Housing, twin inon strobes)
JUNE 2009 - This month the image is: Tall Trees, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
This image was captured in March near the end of the winter season. The trees have died long ago from the thermal activity which can be seen in the background. What appears to be clouds or fog is actually steam being erupted from thermal beds. Snow can be seen falling in the upper parts of the image. The star effect of the sun was not created artifically using a filter or in Photoshop. The effect was achieved by stopping down the aperture to f22. (CANON 1DMK3)
May 2009 - This month the image is: Grey Wolf (Canis lupus), Montana, USA
The grey wolf or gray wolf (Canis lupus), also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is the largest wild member of the Canidae family. It is an ice age survivor originating during the Late Pleistocene around 300,000 years ago. DNA sequencing and genetic drift studies reaffirm that the gray wolf shares a common ancestry with the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris).
Though once abundant over much of Eurasia and North America, the gray wolf inhabits a very small portion of its former range because of widespread destruction of its territory, human encroachment of its habitat, and the resulting human-wolf encounters that sparked broad extirpation. Today wolves are protected in some areas, however, in other areas are still subject to extermination as perceived threats to livestock and pets. (CANON 1DMK3)
