Animals & Nature

Portuguese Man o' War

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2017: HIGHLY COMMENDED in the Primary Colours category and shortlisted in the Wildlife, Sealife category. A few months earlier, the judges of the 2017 Sony World Photography Awards commended this picture of mine as Top 50 in the World in the awards’ Open Wildlife category. Often incorrectly defined as jellyfish, the Portuguese Man o' War is a siphonophore - a colonial organism. While the bell is harmless, their tentacles can deliver very painful stings! I took this shot while the Man-o-war was floating on the water surface a few miles off the south coast of Pico Island (Azores, Portugal). Later on, at home, I looked at the picture and realised, much to my surprise, that I had got a shot with a very abstract mood from a 100% real photograph. Very calm seas and smooth wavelets led to the totally unexpected reflections. +/- Read the story behind this shot

Like a painting

Red fox on virgin snow. Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise (Italy).

Big bull Sperm whale diving

The biggest Sperm whale I have ever seen fluking up off the coast of Faial Island, Azores, Portugal.

Red rock crab

I captured this shot of a Red rock crab just outside a cave on Faial Island, Azores, Portugal.

Blowholes

All cetaceans (the general name we use to indicate whales, dolphins and porpoises) have blowholes, which are the equivalent of our nostrils. Baleen whales - such as the Bryde's whale you see here - have two blowholes, while toothed cetaceans only have one.

White-backed Woodpecker

A rare sighting of one of the rarest birds in Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise, but also a symbol of it along with the bear.

Into the Wild

Red wolves in in Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise (Italy). Having been to North America as well, I can say this place is second to none to see wolves in the wild. Hunting wolves in Italy is strictly forbidden, not just in national parks.

Coyote and shades of yellow

One of the numerous coyotes I happened to see in Yellowstone National Park, but surely the one with the most pleasing background, at least to my taste.

Wild geese

Wild geese in Valli di Comacchio, Italy.

Bison calf

A baby bison in Yellowstone National Park.

Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)

Water playing with a surfacing Fin whale

Tribute to wolf beauty

An important disclaimer: the wolves in this picture cannot be returned to the wild and live in the so-called Area Faunistica del Lupo of Civitella Alfedena, within the Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise. Being captive animals, my shot does not really count. However, they do count a lot and this is my tribute to them.

Sperm whale diving off Pico Island

A sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is fluking up and about to go on a deep, foraging dive to feed on squids. The image was was captured off Pico Island, Azores, Portugal.

Young red deer

Not at all afraid of me, while still keeping a distance, this young Red deer was feeding just outside the town of Barrea, in Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise (Italy).

Red fox

Red fox photographed at sunset in Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise, Italy.

Watching sunrise in good company

Sunflowers at sunrise, Marche, italy.

Red deer

A male red deer in Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise. Caught on camera after a major scratching session!

Young Atlantic spotted dolphin

High speed travelling for this Atlantic spotted dolphin. Only the adults are spotted, hence the individual in my image is a juvenile.

Red fox encounter

A beautiful Red fox in Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise, Italy.

Newfoundland dog in the Atlantic Ocean

My male Newfie Coda, swimming in the open ocean off Pico Island, Azores, Portugal.

Short-beaked common dolphin

Porpoising Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) off Pico Island, Azores, Portugal.

That's Nature

This is my friend Spider Pico, not an easy subject to photograph. First of all, I am not a macro photographer (although this image was taken with a 1:1 macro lens). Second, Spider Pico is very often on the move and I would never, ever do anything to make him (her??) sluggish, let alone remove him from his habitat just to take a better photograph. The day before yesterday Spider Pico was taking a nap (I think) and I managed to get a few hand-held shots of him, each one with a different focal plane. I then aligned the exposures in Photoshop and combined them using a technique known as focus stacking. Had Spider Pico slept a little longer, I would have got some more legs in focus. No big deal for me. That is Nature and I love it as it is!

Cory's shearwater taking off

Locally called Cagarro, the Cory's shearwater is always encountered at sea around Pico Island, where I live. These seabirds build their nests in rock crevices and are socially monogamous.