Be'ata Monastery, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

I'm changing up the theme today from wildlife & scenery to culture. I love exploring new destinations, meeting the people, becoming immersed in and photographing the local culture. Since my flight to Namibia took me through Ethiopia, on the way home I spent 4 days exploring the capital city, Addis Ababa.

Out for a stroll on my third morning, I met a local guide who took me to the Be'ata Monastery, one of the oldest Ethiopian Orthodox monasteries in Addis Ababa. Luckily, he was able to get us inside for a tour. The air was filled with incense, which added definition and contrast to the light shafts emanating through the stained glass. In the basement were tombs of royals - Emperor Menelik II (1844 - 1913) along with his wife and daughter. Menelik II is most revered for defeating the Italian army, thus preventing defending Ethiopia from being colonized. Among the artifacts were bibles so old they were written on goatskin, and what I believe I was told was an original da Vinci painting, though I have not been able to verify this or match it to any of his works. Since very few exist, it was likely a replica or da Vinci-inspired piece.

Hope you enjoy. I have more to share in the coming days, both wildlife and cultural images...

Colin

Scenes from Sesriem

Scenes from Sesriem...

On the first full day of the Namibia tour, we drive through Sesriem and hike to the dry ancient lakebed of Sossusvlei, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The early light is golden, the compositions are endless, wildlife is abundant, and we complete our hike before the heat is intolerable.

The October 2023 Namibia Tour with Nat Expo Tours is already half full, so please contact me if you are interested in joining and feel free to share.

Cheers!

Colin

I would love to have an aerial perspective the Namib Desert from a hot air ballon. Someday we will have to look into this...

Hiking Dune 45

Hiking the dunes of the Namib Desert in Sossusvlei

Tour guest Laurie Kosik taking in the many compositions in the dry ancient lakebed of Sossusvlei

Cheetah Portrait

Good (early) morning out there! I am back in Alaska and trying to adjust to the time change. With the end of daylight saving time, I am now a full 12 hours behind where I was just a few days ago in Ethiopia, and waking up much earlier than I need to.

I'm still editing through images from Namibia and will continue to post in the coming days. Here is another portrait from the cheetah rescue facility at Neuras Lodge, in affiliation with Naankuse Wildlife Sanctuary. Next year's Namibia tour with Nat Expo Tours, LLC is half full already. Please contact me if you are interested in joining.

Have a great Sunday and thank you for following along!

Colin

Cheetah Cub on a Termite Mound

The ubiquitous termite mounds of Africa. If you've been here, you've probably seen thousands of them. Fact - if you weighed all the termites on earth, they would outweigh all of the mammals...!

While not their intended purpose, they do serve as a lookout for cheetahs and other animals, as this cub is demonstrating here. Taken in Onguma private game reserve last week while leading our first Namibia tour with Nat Expo Tours.

Colin

Cheetah Sightings

I was hoping to see & photograph a cheetah in Namibia this year. To my surprise, we were able to witness a mother with three cubs on two separate occasions in Onguma Private Game Reserve. On the first evening drive, we watched them come into a watering hole and drink until a pride of lions approached, which sent them running. The following evening, we came across the mother eating what was left of an impala she had likely hunted the day before. The cubs took their turns eating as well, and we watched the family interact for the next hour until the light was gone.

Stay tuned for more from our first Namibia tour with Nat Expo Tours!

Colin

Giraffe in Etosha

Upon our arrival in Etosha National Park last week, we stopped by a watering hole that was packed with a variety of wildlife. Directly behind me were literally hundreds of zebras along with dozens of impalas, springboks, giraffes and more. I chose to focus on this single giraffe, away from the crowd, including the sky to give a sense of place with the clouds signaling the arrival of the rainy season. I switched to a wider lens and added a polarizing filter to bring out the blue sky and soft clouds while saturating the warm tones of the giraffe.

Our first Namibia tour with Nat Expo Tours has concluded. I will be spending a few days in Addis Ababa, the capitol of Ethiopia, before returning to Alaska. There will be more images to share in the coming days, so please stay tuned…

Cheers,

Colin

Cheetah Poses

Our first Namibia tour is wrapping up soon and I have new images that I am very excited to share. This is from the first night of the tour at Neura's Lodge & Winery, where they have a cheetah rescue program in affiliation with Nannkuse Wildlife Sanctuary. They have 7 cheetahs in a large enclosure and we were able to watch the daily feeding.

Next year's Namibia tour is nearly full and it looks like the February 2023 Cuba tour is now full. Please let me know if you are interested in joining any of our future trips with Nat Expo Tours.

Thank you for following my journeys,

Colin

Saw-whet Owl Banding & Measuring

As promised, here are more photos of the saw-whet owl banding process. I've been able to join a few of these outings to observe and photograph, with both saw-whet and boreal owls. I am always grateful to be a part of the operation and expand my knowledge of these little forest dwelling raptors.

Colin

First time seeing the outside world...

Waiting to be weighed & measured

Juvenile saw-whet owl, close to fledging

Measuring the wings

Taking measurements while the owlet took the opportunity to void its bowels

It's always a good idea to bring a spare sheet for recording measurements

Juvenile Northern Saw-whet Owl

Last summer I had the opportunity to once again observe and assist in the banding of baby saw-whet owls. I've been able to take part in this process a few times now; it's always a joy and an honor to photograph these tiny owls and document the process of helping them to proliferate in Southcentral Alaska.

I'll have more images to share this week, so please stay tuned...

Cheers!

Colin

Isbjørn 🇳🇴 = Polar Bear

Still going through images from Svalbard, Norway. We saw at least 12 individual polar bears aside from the female we observed crossing the ice pack. The others were viewed from Zodiacs and on more than one occasion, a scheduled landing was canceled due to bears in the vicinity.

Have a great weekend and thank you for following along!

Colin

PS - in less than 2 weeks I'll be back in Namibia to lead a group with Nat Expo Tours, LLC, so please stay tuned…

Polar bear in Hingstsletta

Polar bear tracks near the mud, Ymerbukta

Polar bear mother and cub sleeping on the beach, Kapp Lee

Happy Autumn and the March 2023 Arctic Norway Aurora Adventure!

Happy Autumn, everyone!


With the equinox comes increased solar activity and subsequently, aurora borealis. Along with that, we are heading toward the next solar maximum, so opportunities for sights like this should continue to increase over the next few years...

I will be guiding local aurora borealis tours for Alaska Photo Treks again this season and speaking of aurora tours, Mike and I have added a new trip to our schedule at Nat Expo Tours – the March 2023 Arctic Norway Aurora Adventure! Dates are March 14-22, 2023. Details and itinerary on our website.

We are offering a $200 discount for all subscribers to our newsletter. You can subscribe on our homepage: www.natexpotours.com

Happy Aurora Hunting!

Colin

Auroral corona & moon at the Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska

Aurora borealis over the Chugach Mountains, Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska

Humpback Whale Video, Iceland

When the whales are too close to fit in the frame, sometimes it's easier to put the telephoto down and just shoot with your phone. Taken in Iceland's longest fjord, Eyjafjordur, with Whale Watching Hauganes. Shot an iPhone 13 Pro Max in cinematic mode...

We have already scheduled next year's Iceland Tour with Nat Expo Tours! Dates are June 19-28, 2023. More info and a detailed itinerary on our site: June 2023 Iceland Tour

Please message me if you have any questions about Iceland or any of our 2023 tours, including Cuba in February, an aurora adventure to arctic Norway in March, and Namibia in October, or visit our website: www.natexpotours.com

Cheers!

Colin

Polar Bear on the pack ice, 82˚N latitude, Svalbard, Norway

A polar bear crosses the pack ice north of Svalbard, Norway with Oceanwide Expeditions. Our ship, the M/V Ortelius, passed 82˚N latitude as we watched this female bear cross the moving ice. Footage by Mike Haring and myself.

It's very possible that we will lead a group to Svalbard in the near future with Nat Expo Tours. We currently have next year's tours up on our site and if you subscribe to our newsletter on the homepage, you will get a $200 discount on the Arctic Norway Aurora Adventure, March 14-22, 2023: www.natexpotours.com

Thank you for following,

Colin

Alkefjellet, Svalbard

Alkefjellet, Day 6 of our Svalbard adventure with Oceanwide Expeditions. A birder's paradise to say the least, where flocks of guillemots and gulls filled the cliffs and sky, at times resembling a swarm of insects when viewed from a distance.

Please stay tuned for more from Svalbard as I edit through thousands of images & videos...

Thank you for following along!

Colin

Brünnich’s Guillemot

Brünnich’s Guillemot

Brünnich’s Guillemots

Guillemots and gulls

Our ship, the M/V Oretlius

Atlantic Walrus

The Atlantic walrus, or Odobenus rosmarus, is also known as “Tooth Walker” by Inuit peoples because they use their tusks to haul themselves ashore and move around on land. Odobenus translates from Latin as “tooth walking sea horse.”

Svalbard, Norway was my first opportunity to witness and photograph these saber-toothed sea cows of the north (I wrote that one). At more than 2,000 pounds, they are massive creatures, and it would be easy to underestimate their agility by just watching them on land but to observe them in the water is a different story…

I have more to share from our Svalbard adventure with Oceanwide Expeditions, so please stay tuned. We may eventually take a group there with Nat Expo Tours, but for now we are scheduled to return to arctic Norway for an Aurora & Arctic Landscape Tour in March of 2023! Please message me for details on that or visit our website: https://naturalexposurestours.com/norway-tour/

Cheers!

Colin

 

 

 

Atlantic Puffins, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland

The Westman Islands in Iceland are home to the world's largest Atlantic puffin colony. We were lucky to have great weather on the islands as we observed & photographed the puffins collecting food for their young, which will soon emerge from their burrows and plunge into the ocean below. Take a look at the third image and you'll see what I mean when I say these little sh*ts are challenging to capture in flight...

We have already scheduled next year's Iceland tour with Nat Expo Tours. Dates are June 19-28, 2023. Cost is $4,695. More details on our website: www.natexpotours.com

Please message me if you have any questions. Thank you and feel free to share!

Colin

Icelandic Horse Hairstyles

What else to do on a windy day in Akureyri but photograph Icelandic horses? The seas were too rough for our scheduled whale watch, so we took our group to local farms & equestrian centers to appreciate the beautiful breed of horses only found in Iceland. The light and wind were perfect in nature’s studio for creating these portraits…

Stay tuned for details on our 2023 Iceland tour with Nat Expo Tours, LLC. We are looking to add new activities next year, possibilities include a horseback ride and a guided expedition to a glacier cave.

Cheers!

Colin

Humpback whale in Iceland's longest fjord, Ejyafjördur

After 2 days of strong winds, we were able to take our group out with Whale Watching Hauganes on Sunday morning before driving back to Reykjavik for the final night of the tour. It definitely was one of the best whale experiences I've had in Iceland, with several moments like this right next to our boat.

I'm home and getting settled in, with a bit of editing here & there. I have much more to share from both Svalbard and Iceland in the coming days. We will be posting details of our 2023 Iceland Tour with Nat Expo Tours, LLC in the near future as well, and we are looking at June of next year...

As always, thank you for following along,

Colin

Svalbard

Svalbard, Norway.

I am fortunate to have visited this iconic destination, a place sought after by almost any nature photographer. We spent 9 days cruising around the archipelago with Oceandwide Expeditions, making land excursions (when there weren't any polar bears present) and going beyond 82˚ North latitude, within 500 miles of the north pole. We saw a total of 12 bears, one walking across the polar icepack. I will have more to share when I have time to edit through thousands of images & videos. I am now in Iceland, leading a photography tour with Nat Expo Tours.

As always, thank you for following along!

Colin

Polar bear on the icepack

Arctic plant life

Morning sky from the bow of the Ortelius

Boreal Owlets

Hello Everyone,

Here is a bit of extreme cuteness for your day...

These are boreal owlets, a species slightly larger and somewhat similar in appearance to the northern saw-whet owl. Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to join two biologists and photograph the process of banding the little owls before they fledged from the nest. I am always honored and grateful for these opportunities to expand my knowledge of local wildlife and witness first-hand the process of assisting a species to proliferate. Between both biologists, they monitor approximately 100 nesting boxes throughout Alaska, and this was the only box inhabited by boreal owls…

Thank you, as always, for following along, and have a great weekend!

Colin