The National Wildlife Federation describes itself as “America’s largest and most trusted wildlife conservation and education organization.” They hold an annual wildlife photography competition that is in its 54th iteration. This year I decided to enter. Below are the 30 photos I selected and the required information for each photo. I entered a few of these photos into other competitions, which I detailed in two prior posts: the Smithsonian Photo Contest and the Bird Photographer of the Year Contest. However, many of the photos are relatively new and haven’t previously been entered into any other wildlife photo contests.
Alligator Alignment
When: June 2024
Where: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida, USA
Photo Story: The day after the summer solstice, I visited Florida’s Paynes Prairie Preserve in order to photograph alligators. On this particular evening all was quiet and calm. The vast majority of alligators had aligned themselves along one particular section of shore, facing the setting sun. In the days and weeks prior, and those after, I never witnessed this peculiar alligator alignment pattern again.
Camera Equipment: Canon EOS R7, 24-240 mm lens
Digital Alterations: None
Alligator and Fish
When: May 2024
Where: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida, USA
Photo Story: In this photo I managed to capture the exact moment an alligator tilts back to swallow a dead fish that it picked up floating on the water surface. At this site, a natural fish die-off due to low water levels created a feast of fish for the resident alligators.
Camera Equipment: Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
Digital Alterations: Cropped
Alligator and Turtle
When: December 2024
Where: Sweetwater Wetlands Park, Gainesville, Florida, USA
Photo Story: While walking a path adjacent to the water at Sweetwater Wetlands Park, I came upon an American alligator attempting to crush a turtle in its jaws. I managed to take lots of photos of this predatory interaction.
Camera Equipment: Canon EOS R7, 100-400 mm lens
Digital Alterations: None
Barbary Macaques
When: October 2023
Where: Gibraltar Nature Reserve, Gibraltar
Photo Story: Just before sunset, I hiked to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar hoping for some spectacular views. Not only were the views great, but a troop of Barbary Macaques were present. This mother and infant were very accommodating, posing in the golden hour light.
Camera Equipment: Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
Digital Alterations: Cropped
Beakful of Gar
When: June 2024
Where: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida, USA
Photo Story: Great Blue Heron are known for eating large prey, but I was still very surprised to see one attempting to swallow such an elongated and heavily armored fish. For nearly half an hour the heron manipulated the injured gar in its bill and attempted to swallow it several times. Ultimately, the gar proved too awkward to swallow and it was dropped on the bank where it was soon eaten by an alligator.
Camera Equipment: Canon EOS R7, 24-240 mm lens
Digital Alterations: Cropped
Bite Force
When: June 2024
Where: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida, USA
Photo Story: While walking a path adjacent to the water at Paynes Prairie Preserve, I came upon an American alligator with a Florida gar in its mouth. The alligator thoroughly crushed the heavily armored gar in its jaws (making a loud crunching sound) and then swallowed it whole, all in less than one minute. I managed to take lots of photos of this predatory interaction.
Camera Equipment: Canon EOS R7, 24-240 mm lens
Digital Alterations: None
Canyonlands Vista
When: November 2020
Where: Canyonlands National Park, Utah, USA
Photo Story: In this photo, I captured the moment a hiker stopped to photograph the Colorado River from a scenic lookout point in Canyonlands National Park.
Camera Equipment: Samsung Galaxy S10
Digital Alterations: None
Cormorant Mouthful
When: January 2025
Where: Silver Springs State Park, Florida, USA
Photo Story: While kayaking the Silver River I watched as a Double-crested Cormorant emerged from the depths with a Brown Hoplo catfish in its bill. I managed to capture a few pictures before the bird submerged again.
Camera Equipment: Canon EOS R7, 24-240 mm lens
Digital Alterations: Cropped
Duck Ripple
When: September 2023
Where: Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
Photo Story: A duck creates a ripple, surrounded by fish in beautiful turquoise water. This photo was taken while walking along the paths of Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia.
Camera Equipment: Samsung Galaxy S10
Digital Alterations: Rotated slightly
Emergence
When: July 2022
Where: Annapolis Waterworks Park, Maryland, USA
Photo Story: While doing some night-time exploring, I photographed a newly emerged cicada still clinging to its cocoon.
Camera Equipment: Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
Digital Alterations: None
Epic Battle
When: March 2022
Where: Crandon Park, Key Biscayne, Florida, USA
Photo Story: While walking in a park on Key Biscayne, Florida, I came upon two battling male Black Ctenosaurs, also known as Black Spiny-tailed Iguanas. The fighting lasted for about 15 minutes, before a victor emerged. The two males were oblivious to observers and bikers passing by.
Camera Equipment: Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
Digital Alterations: None
Feast of Fish
When: May 2024
Where: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida, USA
Photo Story: The flooded Florida prairie where this photo was taken is governed by seasonal cycles of rainfall and temperature. In late May and early June of 2024 there was a natural fish die-off at this location due to a drop in water levels creating hypoxic conditions. This created some fairly surreal scenes in which totally sated alligators were surrounded by layers of dead fish.
Camera Equipment: Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
Digital Alterations: None
Heron at Sunrise
When: February 2024
Where: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, USA
Photo Story: To capture this photo, I rose at dawn and drove to this lookout point hoping for some great early-morning wildlife viewing. It was worth waking early to capture the sun rising over the brackish wetlands, with a Great Blue Heron sitting motionless in the shallow water.
Camera Equipment: Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
Digital Alterations: None
Heron at Sunset
When: October 2024
Where: Palm Point Park, Florida, USA
Photo Story: At sunset, a Great Blue Heron poses against a backdrop of sky, water, palms, cypress, and Spanish moss. I was admiring the sunset view on Newmans Lake when a Great Blue Heron landed on the branch of a nearby Cypress tree. I moved position slightly in order to view the heron’s profile silhouetted against the sky, and framed in a window of thick vegetation.
Camera Equipment: Canon EOS R7, 24-240 mm lens
Digital Alterations: None
Laguna Beach Sunset
When: August 2024
Where: Heisler Park, Laguna Beach, California, USA
Photo Story: The sun sets on the Pacific Ocean in Laguna Beach. I captured this photo while walking in Heisler Park.
Camera Equipment: Canon EOS R7, 24-240 mm lens
Digital Alterations: Rotated slightly
Manatee at River Junction
When: January 2025
Where: Fanning Springs State Park, Florida, USA
Photo Story: West Indian Manatees are not particularly cold tolerant. In wintertime, manatees in Central and North Florida seek out springs as warm-water refuges. While snorkeling in one such spring, I witnessed a manatee swim to the juncture of where the clear warm waters of Fanning Springs met the dark cold waters of the mighty Suwannee River. Immediately after entering the dark cold waters of the Suwannee, this manatee turned around and swam back to the rest of the group in the clear warm spring water.
Camera Equipment: Olympus TG-6
Digital Alterations: Cropped
Manatee Swimming
When: January 2025
Where: Fanning Springs State Park, Florida, USA
Photo Story: West Indian Manatees are not particularly cold tolerant. In wintertime, manatees in Central and North Florida seek out springs as warm-water refuges. While snorkeling in one such spring, I was able to photograph a group of manatees resting and grazing on aquatic vegetation. This manatee reminds me of a walrus, given its body position and algae-tufted mustache.
Camera Equipment: Olympus TG-6
Digital Alterations: None
Matterhorn
When: October 2023
Where: Matterhorn Glacier Trail, Switzerland
Photo Story: The Matterhorn on a sunny fall morning. This photo was taken while hiking the Matterhorn Glacier Trail in Switzerland.
Camera Equipment: Samsung Galaxy S10
Digital Alterations: None
Pelican on the Pier
When: December 2020
Where: Newport Fishing Pier, Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, USA
Photo Story: While walking along an urban fishing pier I captured this photo of brown pelicans using my cellphone camera. One particular pelican threw back its head and opened its bill, making for a memorable photo.
Camera Equipment: Samsung Galaxy S10
Digital Alterations: Cropped
Pelican Portrait
When: February 2022
Where: Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA
Photo Story: While fishing a few miles from shore (off Miami Beach) a pelican suddenly landed on the front of the boat. It looks as if it wants to say ‘have you got anything for me?’ I captured this pelican portrait with my cellphone camera before the magnificent bird took flight again.
Camera Equipment: Samsung Galaxy S10
Digital Alterations: None
Relaxing Manatees
When: January 2025
Where: Fanning Springs State Park, Florida, USA
Photo Story: West Indian Manatees are not particularly cold tolerant. In wintertime, manatees in Central and North Florida seek out springs as warm-water refuges. While snorkeling in one such spring I was able to photograph a group of manatees resting and grazing on aquatic vegetation.
Camera Equipment: Olympus TG-6
Digital Alterations: Saturation and Warmth adjusted
Reptile Lineup
When: December 2024
Where: Depot Park, Gainesville, Florida, USA
Photo Story: An alligator and several turtles bask in the sun in an urban park in Gainesville, Florida. I captured this photo from shore while walking the perimeter of one of the ponds in this urban park.
Camera Equipment: Canon EOS R7, 100-400 mm lens
Digital Alterations: None
Scavengers
When: July 2023
Where: Assateague Island, Maryland, USA
Photo Story: Turkey Vultures feast upon a dead Loggerhead Sea Turtle on the shore of Assateague Island, Maryland. I came upon this unique scene while walking along the undeveloped seashore of 6 Mile Beach. I watched from afar for about 15 minutes and took numerous photos with my lens at maximal zoom. There were as many as eight Turkey Vultures feeding on this behemoth, which I assumed washed up on shore dead. Interestingly, there was also a Golden Eagle sitting atop a nearby sand dune observing the situation. The Ferris wheel and skyline of nearby Ocean City are visible in the background.
Camera Equipment: Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
Digital Alterations: Cropped, Contrast and Sharpness adjusted
Snake Squeeze
When: April 2010
Where: Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe
Photo Story: In 2010, I visited Zimbabwe with some collaborators to study short-lived annual killifish which reside in temporary pools that seasonally dry out. While walking along the edge of one such pool I spotted a rock python that had constricted a water bird. Over the next 45 minutes the snake managed to swallow the unfortunate bird. This photo was taken just before the swallowing commenced, with the bird still tightly wrapped in the snakes’ coils.
Camera Equipment: Canon PowerShot SX110 IS
Digital Alterations: Cropped
Standoff
When: June 2024
Where: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida, USA
Photo Story: From the opposite bank, I watched with curiosity as two white-tailed deer walked near the water’s edge directly past at least a dozen large basking alligators. One deer actually stopped about 5 meters directly in front of a group of five alligators, which were all facing toward the deer, and intently stared them down. The alligators became spooked by this and suddenly dashed into the water making a big commotion.
Camera Equipment: Canon EOS R7, 24-240 mm lens
Digital Alterations: Cropped
Stroll Amongst Alligators
When: December 2023
Where: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida, USA
Photo Story: On a chilly (for Florida) but sunny day in late December, many alligators decided to bask directly adjacent to the trail in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. This created some memorable moments for all the hikers and wildlife enthusiasts. The alligators remained completely statue-like and most had their eyes closed.
Camera Equipment: Samsung Galaxy S10
Digital Alterations: Cropped
Treefrog Embrace
When: August 2009
Where: Simla Research Station, Trinidad
Photo Story: While conducting research in Trinidad I would often explore the area surrounding Simla Research Station at night with my headlamp and camera. On this particular night, I came across two Emerald-eyed tree frogs adopting all sorts of acrobatic positions while apparently jockeying for position during a mating bout.
Camera Equipment: Canon PowerShot SX110 IS
Digital Alterations: Cropped
Treefrog Looking Upward
When: November 2009
Where: Simla Research Station, Trinidad
Photo Story: While conducting research in Trinidad I would often explore the area surrounding Simla Research Station at night with my headlamp and camera. On this particular night, I came across an Emerald-eyed tree frogs posing on a branch.
Camera Equipment: Canon PowerShot SX110 IS
Digital Alterations: None
Treefrog on Branch
When: August 2009
Where: Simla Research Station, Trinidad
Photo Story: While conducting research in Trinidad I would often explore the area surrounding Simla Research Station at night with my headlamp and camera. On this particular night, I came across an Emerald-eyed tree frog posing on a branch, with another visible nearby.
Camera Equipment: Canon PowerShot SX110 IS
Digital Alterations: Cropped and Exposure adjusted
Through the mud
When: June 2024
Where: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida, USA
Photo Story: The flooded Florida prairie where this photo was taken is characterized by fluctuating water levels to which all animals must adapt. As the sun was setting and I was walking back to my car, I noticed an alligator crawling toward me through thick mud. I crouched down and was able to get a head-on view.
Camera Equipment: Canon EOS R7, 100-400 mm lens
Digital Alterations: None
Reason and Nature 
These photos are spectacular. Wowed me. I’m borrowing one of your images and sending my audience to your website. I hope you don’t mine. Of course, all attributes are mentioned as belonging to this website. Thanks so dearly. Happy September.
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