If you need to know anything about me, you should know that I LOVE animals and I LOVE taking photos of them. I’m not a big fan of zoos…I understand the need to learn more about different species in order to help with their conservation. However, I feel like many zoos mistreat their animals, barely giving them enough space to walk around. I like to see animals free in the wild, where they are supposed to be.
Fortunately, I have had great opportunities to soak in wild life on some of my adventures around the world. Here are some of my favorite animals that I have photographed.
Africa
Seeing a lion in the wild is a special experience. During our trip to Africa, we went on 2 different Safaris. We saw the lions on our second one. They were within feet from us and were not afraid to make their presence known, huffing and showing their teeth. You realize how helpless you are when face to face with one of these. We were lucky enough to see several different prides of lions and saw cubs too!
You can’t go to Africa without seeing a monkey everywhere you go. Most of them were nice, but some of them liked to cause trouble. Here were 2 chill mothers.
The birds were gorgeous too! I have no idea what kind this is, but I really liked it. Do you know what kind of bird this is?
And we end Africa with the infamous leopard. The hardest of the 5 big to see. We spotted this one on our last morning on the way out of the park. It was a wonderful moment to watch this guy sunbath in a tree, saying hello to the morning.
Peru
This alpaca was on Machu Picchu and actually gave birth while we were there. It was incredible, but not pretty to photograph to say the least, lol.
Peru is also known for it’s monkeys. We stayed at an eco lodge in the Amazon where they have a pair of monkeys that liked to hang out with guests and play.
France
Pigeons are all over the world. You see them in just about every country. We normally just over look them as a dirty bird, but every once and a while if you just stop and pay attention you can capture the beauty of them.
Spain
Same with ducks, they are often overlooked. The water in the El Retiro Park in Madrid was such a pretty green blue. I love the composition of this photo and how the duck’s colors complement the water.
Christina Ellis 