Nikon D800, Tamron 90 mm, F/13, s 1/125, iso 400, flash.

Back home again from Fuerteventura with nice memories and images and I received good news from Italy!
For the sixth year in a row I have won a prize in the international nature photography contest Asferico in Italy. With a picture of two silver-studded blue butterflies I received a highly commended award in the “other animals” category. Congratulations to al the winning photographers and more stunning winners on this site: www.asferico.com

Nikon D800, Nikon 20 mm, f/6.3, 1/400 s, iso 800, EV +1.0

Exciting though in this case the wolves are socialized and living in the Polarzoo in Norway. They live in a large fenced area in the park and for a meet and greet with the wolves within this enclosure you can arrange a visit, always accompanied by 2 expert staff members from the park. For acquaintance with these wolves you may not where gloves and had so they’ll be able to smell and lick you better….very important for the acceptance. After about 10 minutes, if all goes well, it is allowed to photograph or film the wolves. As you probably know I like the low angle position and spend a lot of time laying on the ground to photograph (or sleep). Sometimes hikers in the forest noticing me laying on the forest floor and presume I am dead, wich of course results in all kind of reactions. For this image I also lay down in the snow for my favorite camera position with 20 mm wide angle lens, hoping the wolves not regarded me as dead or easy prey!

Special thanks for this trip to Ralph from Nordic Vision photo tours and Visit Norway

Nikon D300, 270 mm, F/7.1, 1/250 s, iso 400, tripod.

Past one and a half month I have worked on  a beautiful international assigment. Unfortunately strictly confidential, but in Spring 2013 more news about this mission. Therefore only a image of last winter and I wish everyone  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Nikon D800, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 s, iso 1600.

Autumn is over. Last Friday we experienced the first heavy snowfall in the Netherlands. Now winter has really begun. The snow transformed an otherwise less interesting landscape into a beautiful setting for these four fallow deer.

It is also over with the first edition of my National Geographic book ‘Handboek Natuurfotografie Nederland & België’. Within six months the book is sold out and of course I am very happy with this result, especially regarding the turbulent times for publishers of books and magazines. At this moment it’s unclear whether there is going to be a second edition. I have in my possession a very limited number of copies, which is designed for sale during my coming lectures.

Nikon D800, Nikon 200-400 mm op 260 mm, F/4.0, 1/200s, iso 1000, Gitzo GT4542LS, Jobu MKIII Gimbal head.

Every autumn I explore the forest around my hometown Nijmegen/the Netherlands to photograph mushrooms. It never bores my though I try to challenge myself to make images with a different aproach. Also in magazines the topic mushrooms is apparently still popular. Last month I’ve published again a few nice articles in various magazines about mushrooms.

After the first cold nights many species of mushrooms disappear and so I focused last week on red squirrels. Funny animals! But now I ask myself if I have not quit my mushroom addiction……….