Three lion cubs
Animals,  Sunday Stills,  Themed galleries

Gallery: emerging into life

Wildlife photography isn’t all about those ‘ah, how cute’ moments, but there are plenty of them to be discovered, nevertheless. And never more so than when photographing animal babies. These adorable animals play on our evolutionary desires to care for the young and helpless of our own species. I try to avoid falling into the trap of anthropomorphising these little ones, but I’m not immune to their charms.

Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.

Aaron Siskind

For this week’s Sunday Stills theme of ‘emerging’ I offer a selection of photos of ‘little things’ – young animals photographed in various locations around the world.

Lion cub by mother's feet
Lion cub and mother in Chobe NP – one of the three in my featured photo
Two adult elephants and one calf drinking
On the Chobe River, Botswana – and baby makes three!
Elephant calf suckling
Also in Chobe NP, Botswana
Adult elephant and calf in long grass
In the Okavango Delta – spot the little one!
Baby baboon on adult's back
Baby baboon hitching a ride in Chobe NP, Botswana
Baby monkey suckling
Rhesus Macaques at the Itmad-ud-Daulah, Agra
Mother and baby monkey in a tree
Langur monkeys in Rajasthan
Baby monkey in a tree, mouth open
After he spotted me!
Small sea lion pup on white sand beach
Sea lion pup on the beach, Española, Galapagos Islands
Bird with blue feet and white chick
Blue-footed Booby mother and chick, North Seymour, Galapagos Islands
Large scruffy brown chick
Waved Albatross chick, Española, Galapagos Islands

For more about these amazing birds see The Waved Albatross of Española Island

28 Comments

  • wetanddustyroads

    Sarah, I can’t help but smile from ear to ear while watching your photo’s … every little one is such a cutie (but when they’re all grown up – especially the lion and elephant – animals with a force to be reckoned with). Beautiful photo’s 👍🏻.

  • maristravels

    I was happily nodding along with your sentiments about not anthropomorphising the cuties from the animal world when the first picture scrolled up and I immediately went into drool mode, with oohs and aahs and awws. Great images Sarah, you really are a genius with that camera.

  • Girl in Niagara

    Beautifful images Sarah. I absolutely love the quote on photography you chose to share. It really is true, the images remember the little things that we often forget. It’s great to look back on these sometimes. If only I could get a handle on organizing them all.

  • Marsha

    Are you sure these aren’t Awww moments and we can’t say that they are so cute. Who doesn’t love baby animal pictures, and most of us would never in a million years have a chance to see these animals up close like this. This is a special post, Sarah – the time to travel and cost of getting to these places, the timing of seeing the animals, the talent of being able to frame and snap the picture and capture endearing expressions and moments, the ability to process the pictures, and the knowledge of how to share them on the net. All works together to make this one of the most amazing posts on the web today. Thank you for sharing these emerging animals on Sunday Stills.

    • Sarah Wilkie

      Thank you very much for this lovely comment Marsha – I’m blushing 😊 Yes, of course they are cute – as I said in my intro, there are plenty to be discovered and I’m as smitten by them as anyone 🙂 I’m just always conscious that there’s more to the animal world than this, it’s not all sweetness and cuteness!!

      • Marsha

        Yes, which is why we don’t let our cats outside here in Prescott. Many of our cats disappeared in California, but we are in the mountains here, and javelinas, coyotes, and mountain lions roam freely. Our cats would make a perfect meal.

        • Sarah Wilkie

          Gosh yes, you want to keep them safe at home 🙂 I had to look up javelinas as I hadn’t heard of them, but they seem to be the same as peccaries which I do know. Of course we don’t get any of those threats here – instead Ealing’s cats have to negotiate traffic if they are let out on the streets, which many are.

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