Few would argue that one of the cutest sea mammals around are Sea Otters. Whether they’re grooming, using tools to crack open shellfish to eat or just warming themselves in the sun Sea Otters seem to have an eternally cute appearance. As Sea Otters rest in rafts you never know what pose they might take. The rare combination is the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” pose between neighboring otters. I happened to get luck one morning witnessing and seeing this classic pose. I do wonder if I’ll catch this pose again… I hope so.
Fast food has an altogether different meaning for Sea Otters. Voracious they’re almost always hunting and clams are among their favorite quick meals. This photo was captured shortly after the clam was pounded with a rock… a common sight to see. Sea Otters make fast work of shellfish, so shortly after this the hunt was on for another meal. In all the time I’ve been photographing Sea Otters this was one of the bigger clams I’ve seen eaten.
I’m due to head back out on Saturday January 23rd to photograph Sea Otters and a variety of shorebirds on my next Sea Otter photo tour. There’s still availability if you’re interested. For those who enjoy Sea Otters, but won’t be able to join me enjoy my growing Sea Otter photo portfolio.
California Sea Otter Eating a Clam - Elkhorn Slough, California
Canon 1Ds Mark III, 1/640 sec, f/8, 840mm (600mm + 1.4x)
In 2009 I was very fortunate to have had some incredible photo opportunities. Selecting my best photos from this past year was much more difficult than choosing my best photos of 2008 and 2007. After taking the time to review the best of the tens of thousands of photos I took this year I narrowed my choices down to the best 50, then best 25 and finally down to these 10 best photos. To view higher resolution versions of these and my other favorite photos of 2009 less the heavy watermark check out the video at the end of this post.
Honorable Mentions:
Honorable Mention #4: Clark’s Grebe and Fish (Aechmophorus clarckii)
This was one of many wildlife photos taken during my Sea Otter Photo Tour trips this year. While Sea Otters are plentiful one cannot ignore the amazing variety of bird life in this area as well.
Honorable Mention #3: Sinopah Mountain Reflected in Two Medicine Lake at Sunrise – Glacier National Park
In early June I was fortunate to arrive in Glacier National Park after a late snow storm. With in the next few days I was graced with amazing scenery and light.
Honorable Mention #5: Yosemite Valley Chapel in Snow Storm
The highlight of the later part of this year was to be present for 11 inches of snowfall in Yosemite valley. It was an incredible experience capturing the essence of winter and the holidays while photographing Yosemite Valley Chapel.
Honorable Mention #1 Illumination
The Sierra foothills are an amazing place and I was quite fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to photograph an Oak tree under an amazing sunset sky.
My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2009:
#10: Sea Otter and Sleeping Pup (Enhydra lutris)
The highlight of every Sea Otter Photo Tour is being able to photograph Sea Otter pups with their mothers. This was one of my favorites.
#9: Vine Snake (Oxybelis fulgidus)
While in Costa Rica I was very fortunate to see a master of camouflage, the Vine Snake (Oxybelis fulgidus). Their intensely green scales and leaf shaped head make them incredibly challenging to find.
#8: Racetrack Textures – Death Valley National Park
One of my favorite landscape abstracts taken at the Racetrack in Death Valley National Park during one of my many photo tours this year.
#7: Mount Grinell Reflected in Swiftcurrent Lake at Sunrise – Glacier National Park, Montana
An early morning view of Mount Grinell reflected in Swiftcurrent Lake just before fog obscured the view.
#6: Zabriskie Point Sunrise, Death Valley National Park, California
Remnants of a storm that swept through the Sierra Nevada mountains added to an already amazing view of Zabriskie Point at sunrise. This was one of the many great landscape opportunities to be had during my Death Valley photo tour.
#5: A Brown-throated Sloth and Her Baby Eat Leafs – Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica
Wildlife in Costa Rica is plentiful and this special moment of a Brown-throated Sloth and her baby feeding on leafs was one of the many highlights of my trip. My wife was dismayed that this wasn’t my top choice for 2009 as it was her favorite of the year.
#4: Star Trail Abstract
This ultra long exposure of the Milky Way over silhouetted mountains is among my top favorites this year.
#3: Racetrack Light Lasso – Death Valley National Park, California
Never satisfied with the status quo I had a blast experimenting with some light painting on my Death Valley photo tour. After hours of experimentation I came away with 5 excellent photos similar to this, but this is my favorite.
#2: Pattern Abstract I
In 2009 I was working on numerous photo projects, many of which are still under wraps for the moment. One photo that inspired me to start yet another project was this nature abstract. Stay tuned as there’s more to follow for this project.
#1: Mobius Arch Star Trails
7 hours in the field and numerous more in post-production, this photo of Mobius Arch with star trails in the background came out exactly as I had envisioned. Extremely fond of this location I’m always striving to capture something new when I visit.
Bonus: Best Photo Not Taken By Me…
Normally I highlight photos that I’ve taken through out the year, but this is my favorite photo taken by someone else. Baby G should arrive in early June and if my wife and I are lucky we’ll know the sex tomorrow.
Best Photos of 2009 video
Music “Comfort Zone” courtesy of General Fuzz
Thanks a ton General Fuzz your music makes the video!
Check out more of General Fuzz’s great music at http://www.generalfuzz.net
I can’t help but think nature is an exhibitionist and as a photographer that makes me a voyeur. This is particularly true when I think of the raw beauty of Point Lobos. The landscape, the trees, the rocks and the coastline beam, impossible to take your eyes off. Truly an inspirational location where you’ll find beauty right underfoot, if you can divert your attention from the larger magnificent scenery.
Kelp and Rocks - Point Lobos State Reserve, California
Canon 1Ds Mark III, f/14, 1/200 sec, Canon 16-35mm Mark II
The diversity and relative abundance of wildlife here in Northern California is one of the many qualities of this area that attracted me to call this location home. With the thought of “abundance” in mind I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend with family sharing good food and creating lasting memories. Even at this time of year birds have their feasts, rather than being feasted on, as is evident in this photo of a Clark’s Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii) holding a fish in it’s beak. I got a chance to enjoy this moment on my last Sea Otter Photo Tour (the next one is on January 23rd, 2010).
Clark
This photo was taken at a focal length of 840mm (600mm + 1.4x TC) and I was very happy to have still had space to capture the birds reflection in the foreground. Taking a closer look at the photo (see below) you can see a very unhappy fish and some added detail of water droplets on the feathers of the Grebe. While this isn’t quite a 1:1 crop you can really see how much detail resides in 20+ megapixel image. I have to admit I still get a little giddy when I zoom in on a photo like this. The lack of film grain is something I still enjoy quite a bit in my wildlife photographs.
The only time California Sea Otters seem to take a break from eating is when they’re resting in a raft. While sea otters will eat independently they will cluster together when they rest. This photo is a perfect example of this behavior. Joining in a raft provides them the ability to groom, sleep and warm their hands in feet.
Raft of Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris)
As you finish eating your Thanksgiving dinner this weekend make like the Sea Otters… resting and catching up with family and friends. As I recall my grandfather always struck a similar pose after his Thanksgiving dinner except he’d rest in a Lazy-Boy chair in front of a wood console TV. Close enough!
In case you missed it this past week it was reported that the Brown Pelican is being taken off the Endangered Species List.
Here in California you might not know they’re endangered, as they’re a relatively common sight flying along the coast. From what I’ve read their population is still of concern in some gulf states. While I’m happy to hear that a species has been making a comeback I’m always concerned that people hear this type of news and think the worst is over. Let’s hope this species continues to prosper under the more limited protection of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
This weekend was the first of two Sea Otter photo tours (November ‘09 & January ‘10) I scheduled some time ago and it was a blast. Photographing wildlife is extremely rewarding, but being able to share the experience with others who are passionate or merely curious about photographing wildlife is incredibly rewarding. While I sort through construction in my office this week I wanted to point my readers to some sample photographs taken by a friend and client, Eliya, who has joined me on a couple of my Sea Otter photo tours. His photography is coming into his own and he was having a great time trying out his new Canon 7D with a rented 600mm lens. I’m quite fond of his photo of me at work exposing some sunset landscapes below, but Eliya’s wildlife photographs on his Flickr photostream are exemplary of the animal seen on the Sea Otter photo tour. More soon enjoy the photos.
