Every year on 3rd March World Wildlife Day celebrates the unique roles and contributions of wildlife to people and the planet. Initiated by the United Nations in 2013, the day invites all of us to remember how much we rely on the earth’s natural resources and have a responsibility to protect them.
-
-
For a few weeks during February and March each year blue whales, the world's largest mammals, visit the the Sea of Cortez off the eastern coast of the Baja California Sur peninsular. They come to calve, mate and feed on the krill that flourishes in its rich waters.
-
Some photographic subjects are obvious candidates for black and white, others seem better suited to colour. But sometimes it’s interesting to choose a subject or destination that appears to cry out for colour and experiment with some monochrome edits. The results may surprise you!
-
I find it really difficult to pick favourite photos, at least when it comes to my own. So much depends on my mood, on my associations with the photo (where I was, how I felt at the time); it’s hard to be objective. Other people of course don’t have those associations, for the most part. Maybe it’s easier therefore to rely on their judgement?
-
Like many who travel a lot, I prefer to think of myself as more than just a tourist. But I’m never sure it’s as clear cut as that, and I don’t get too offended by the ‘tourist’ tag! I think the truth of the matter is, we are all both at times, depending on where we are and what we are doing.
-
Given that few of us are blessed with the language skills of Doctor Dolittle, probably the best way to ‘listen’ to animals is to observe them. And for many of us that often means a visit to a (hopefully) ethically-run wildlife sanctuary. There we can really take our time to watch animal behaviour, and listen to the experts who’ve made it their job to get to know and understand the needs of these creatures.
-
While many people think that black cats bring bad luck, for some reason as a child I was always taught the opposite. If a black cat crossed my path it would bring good luck. So sure of this was I that I would sometimes alter my route to try to ensure that the cat’s trajectory and my own would definitely intersect!
-
Just as humans (sadly) use knives and swords for attack and defence, so too do animals and plants. Whether it’s a thorn or spike to ward off predators, or a sharp tooth to attack their prey, there is always a point to sharpness in nature.
-
Looking back I see that I have already in the past, several times, shared photos of animals’ eyes. I hate to duplicate but but I believe I’ve managed to dig out some new, and some not-yet-shared, images for this collection.
-
It’s often said that the eyes are the windows into the soul, but many will claim that an animal doesn’t have a soul. However, soul or not, an animal’s eyes can certainly be very expressive.
