The very first animal that I saw upon landing in the Galapagos was also one that I found to be the most beautiful of all the organisms I encountered in the archipelago. Every rock within the splash zone of the shore was dotted with vermilion red, large crabs that moved with a slow, deliberate gait…
Author: Piotr Naskrecki
Galapagos: Marine iguanas
When Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands in 1835, he was a young, probably still a bit immature man, and thus I can forgive him the unflattering description of one of the most amazing reptiles that has ever lived on our planet, which he included in his diary of the voyage of the Beagle. Marine…
Galapagos: The birds
A recent visit to the Galapagos has fulfilled my life-long dream to see one of the most iconic and beautiful natural history destinations in the world. It was as good as I hoped it would be; it was also an exercise in frustration. The abundance of wildlife I encountered there was astounding, and the fact…
Three-striped poison arrow frog
Although this blog is still in its infancy, and I really do not deserve to go on vacation after only a few weeks of running it, I will not be able to update the blog until mid-August. I will try, but chances are slim. Since I will be spending the next 10 days in the…
The other aquatic iguana
In a couple of days I am heading off to the Galapagos Islands, where I hope to be able to see the incredible marine iguanas, the world’s only truly marine lizards. Other lizards enter water occasionally, but aquatic lifestyle is quite rare among these reptiles, and few species live and feed under water. But in…
How to shoot against a black background
I must admit that I have never liked photos taken at night that showed the subject, be it an insect or a person, against a pitch black background. If I am ever in a situation when a full-flash photo at night is the only option, I always try to put some light on the background…
The Smaller Majority 