Photographing in the Pantanal

I’ll never forget the day I created this image of a Black Vulture. We were headed up river just as the light was starting to peak over the thick canopy of the wild and stunning Pantanal region of Brazil. A place that I have learned to love and admire, a place of great opportunities to photograph wildlife. I was feeling a bit full from the huge breakfast of fried eggs over easy, crispy bacon, and an assortment of fresh fruits and home baked breads. I had slept so well the evening before. After all the excitement of some incredible Jaguar sightings, a beautiful day on the river, and enjoying my friends, I was ready for a restful night of sleep and dreams of the new day ahead. The sounds of the river and surrounding jungle are such a melody to fall asleep with.

All Photographs by Kevin Dooley and Jeff Morrison

The fires were heavy in the Amazon and spreading, although the fires were several hundred miles away, the sky was filled with a thick smoke. Fortunately most days we were able to escape the over hanging cloud of smoke, however this was a morning where the winds had pushed the haze straight towards us.

We were headed to a Jaguar sighting that we had located the evening before, a large female Jaguar had taken down a Caiman and was feeding on it. The spray of the cool river water was refreshing and invigorating. My body and mind were filled with the normal excitement I get when we head out on a new and exciting morning of adventure, I get this massive amount of excitement no matter where I am in the world. Something about being out in the wild with my favorite camera gear, great friends, and a sense of discovery that just gets my blood flowing. I simply love it.

The Jaguar was hidden deep in the bushes and we could only make out a few of its spots, however the black vultures were waiting for a chance to feed on the remains of the caiman. As the Sun rose the smoky sky filled the morning with incredible color. I moved our boat and lined it up with the vulture. As the vulture opened its wings, the feeling was overwhelming. A burning Amazon, a jaguar on a caiman kill, a vulture in his paradise.

The Black Vulture is a stunning bird to photograph. These scavengers reside in the southern parts of the United States as well as Central America and South America. They are a bit smaller than their red headed relatives, the Turkey Vulture. The Black Vultures are not as adept in the art of smell, however, they do have an incredible sense of vision. They use their vision to spot other birds of prey and then zero in on the kill. They can live for approximately 20 years, and are very strong flyers. Like other vultures they will wait for the air to warm up before taking to flight.

I like to say that the bird photography in the Pantanal is second to none, but I am still there for the Jaguars. The birds, caiman, and other species are amazing to photograph, but I am a huge lover of photographing the wild cats, and this is the place to find the Jaguar. The Jaguar in my opinion is one of the most elusive and cunning of all the big cats. Only the tiger in India pulls the kind of overwhelming feelings of intensity that the Jaguar gives me. In fact, I still have moments where I get so caught up in the moment that I forget to raise my camera.

One of the best things about being a wildlife photographer and guide is getting to experience the joy of the photographers that accompany me on my safaris. To witness the expressions, the holy moly moments, the excitement in their voices, when an image and or a sighting is beyond expectations. This brings a kind of joy to me that is hard to explain, a sense of being part of fulfilling a persons dream. To know that one of my guests just got an image of a lifetime, is to know true happiness and satisfaction. I often travel with my buddy Jeff and he always comes home with some truly prize winning images. What an honor it is to say I was there when he got that image, I saw his smile when it happend, I simply love it when a guest or travel companion gets an image of a lifetime.

A few of my buddy Jeff Morrison’s Images from the Pantanal.

Our last safari to the Pantanal was very successful, averaging six to eight Jaguar sightings a day. We would head out just at day break and return to our floatel for a wonderful lunch and maybe a short nap or some photography workshop time. Mid afternoon we would head back out and stay on the river till dark. Often getting to enjoy a beautiful sunset as we headed back to the floating lodge for an incredible dinner and a restful nights sleep.

The techniques of photographing Jaguars are quite different than just about any other species I have photographed. Because of their very reclusive nature they are often located in the shade and require higher ISO’s and some compensation in shutter speeds and f-stops. However, the biggest challenge can be photographing these cats from a moving boat. When you combine a telephoto lens and almost constant movement from a rocking vessel , it can create some very unique challenges. It is mandatory to work with fast shutter speeds, at least faster than the focal length you are shooting at. In addition you will need to pre determine your shutter release time. On a moving boat, by the time your brain and your finger on the shutter release button connect the position of the image may change. This takes a little practice, another way to deal with this is to shoot a little loose, giving yourself some cropping space.

Jaguars are similar to tigers in the sense that they have a very vivid and busy pattern that provides very good camouflage for them. This type of marking is designed to confuse the viewer and to make it more difficult to be seen. This is a great asset for the animal, however, it makes our job as photographers a lot more difficult. Being presented with photographing an animal that is designed to blend into its environment through a series of busy patterns adds a touch of difficulty in creating great images. The lighting on both the subject and on the background play a huge role in the success of this challenge. The more light on the subject and the less light on the background will increase your odds of success. Both drawing your eyes straight to the subject, and blocking off unpleasant distractions within the environment of the photograph. The Pantanal is basically a jungle, finding and photographing Jaguars in clear areas is not an everyday encounter, when it happens it is certainly a blessing. Its important to use your skills as a photographer to give yourself the best advantage of a great image no matter where you may encounter the Jaguar. This is where your choice of depth of field will come in handy. Taking into consideration that Jaguars have very large heads, much larger than leopards as an example. The distance between the tip of the nose and the eyes can be upwards of eight inches. If a Jaguar is looking straight at you, depending on the focal length and angle, an f-stop of 7.1 or maybe 8 might be needed to hold the focus on both the eyes and the nose. However, you want your background to fall out of focus as much as possible. Therefore shooting in anything past f8 could lead to a confusing image with too much going on in the background. When the subject is in a profile position I often drop my f-stop down to 5.6 or 6.3. The other advantage to these lower f-stops is that it will allow you to maintain a fast shutter speed. This is very important considering the movement of the boat and the long focal lengths that are normally used with wildlife.

https://idubephotosafaris.com/the-jaguars-of-pantanal/

Our next photography tour/workshop to the Pantanal will be August of 2020. Fallowed up with another tour in August of 2021. Join us on this stunning wildlife experience where the adventure of photographing the wild Jaguar of South America becomes a reality.

The Jaguars of Pantanal

Enjoy our youtube video from our 2019 Pantanal safari.

11.27.2022by kdooleyin Uncategorized

In the remote and beautiful Ethiopia. I create photography for…

Although these days I am known mostly for my wildlife photography, there is certainly another love that rests deep within my heart. In fact, I have had a wedding and portrait studio for just north of forty years. Other than three years in the US Navy, I have made my living as a professional photographer my entire adult life. It actually goes beyond that, my teenage years were spent with a camera in hand and photographs on the mind. In my teen years, one of my first jobs was developing and printing black and white images in my father’s portrait studio. With over seven thousand weddings, countless business portraits, and more family portraits than I can shake a stick at, photographing people has been and continues to have a major influence on my love of photography. My style and approach in my work has been to combine my technical and emotional development in both portrait and wildlife photography. In every image that I create, I try to dive deep into the world of that which is flowing through my lens and into my own interpretations and experiences of life. In other words when I photograph a lion in the wilds of Africa, I look for a lot of the same emotions, expressions, and feelings that I search for when I am photographing a human deep in the valley’s of remote Ethiopia. When I photograph people I find myself searching for the depths of hidden thoughts and hard to reach messages that are often found in wildlife. I try to bring out the expressions and messages that rest deep inside the human mind. Through the very creation and development of my own interpretation of life, I look for ways to bring the depths of another living creature to the eyes that view and interpret the photograph that I have created. For me, this journey has been and continues to be incredible. I truly believe that all living things are filled with deep thought and important messages. Messages through expressions, colors, tones, and textures, that can enhance our own life experiences in so many ways. In my journey to narrow the scope of my imagery to emotional impact and the viewers connection to the photograph, I use the technical assistance of a very shallow depth of field and the compression of telephoto lenses. This technique leaves little distraction in my images, allowing the viewer to quickly reach my intended connection to the depths of the subjects thoughts, feelings, and the very story of the photograph.

Canon R3. Sigma 60-600. 1/250, F6.3, 267mm

I have led many journeys to the remote and wild parts of beautiful Ethiopia. Both wildlife and tribal photography have drawn me to this visually stunning and culturally fascinating destination. With so many journeys under my belt, one would think that my selection of camera gear would be a breeze. However, I am embarrassed to admit that I am still highly challenged in this department. I suppose when it comes to selecting what lens to take I start out with them all. Once I realize that my camera bag is so heavy that I would have to travel with a crew of sherpas, I begin the dreadful process of narrowing it down.

The destinations subject matter and the mode of transport are of course, huge considerations when it comes to making my final lens choices. Another important factor that I have to consider is where I will be traveling to before and after a specific location. I will often go from one country to another with very different goals for each location. Often I will be traveling from a wildlife location to a tribal portrait location with no time to head home and trade out my lens for different types of photography. In my situation, it’s important for me to select lenses that offer a variety of uses.

Canon 1dxmk3. Sigma 105 Prime. 1/40, F2.8, 105mm

Canon R3. Sigma 60-600. 1/200, F6.3, 222mm

If I had to narrow down my gear to just one lens, it would be the Sigma 60-600. I have been using this lens as my main go to lens since it was released in 2018. I have used this lens for just about every type of photography I do. In fact I have even used this lens on weddings. I teach several workshops a year in locations where we use bush planes and are restricted to under fifty pounds of weight including clothing and personal items. The first lens I go for when packing my camera bag is my Sigma 60-600. It is by far the best all around lens I have ever used. It is a bit heavy at just under six pounds, however that six pounds is pure usable focal lengths and very sharp. My Sigma 60-600 has been the best all around lens I have owned and used in my 40 plus years as a professional photographer.

Canon R3. Sigma 60-600. 1/400, F5, 139mm

I truly enjoy using my 60-600 for portrait photography. Having the various focal lengths allows me to both be interactive with my subjects when I am looking for a specific pose and expression. On the other hand when I am photographing with a more candid approach I can easily maintain a distance and still reach out and get nice close images. I love how the compression of the telephoto lens builds a very soft, creamy background. In most cases, unless I am using a wide angle lens and telling a story, I personally like to keep my images simple and clean, often using the wide open side of my aperture choices. The easier it is for a viewer to look at at a photograph the faster the photograph will grab and hold the viewers attention.

Canon R3. Sigma 60-600. 1/640, F6.3, 204mm

I never travel with just one lens, I am a firm believer in having a back up system. I use the Sigma 150-600 C as my back up lens. It is very light, very sharp and although it’s missing that 60-150 focal range, it is the perfect back up lens. Gear can be dropped or broken and a back up is vital when investing in a destination type photographic journey. That being said, when traveling to Ethiopia for Tribal Photography, in addition to my 60-600 lens, I prefer to pack and use two other lenses. My Sigma 16-24 and my Sigma 105 Prime.

Canon 1dxmk3. Sigma 105 Prime. 1/125, F1.4, 105mm

Back in the days when I was doing a lot of wedding photography I used an 85mm 1.2 prime lens. I loved the slight telephoto look combined with the minimal depth of field. The wide aperture also allowed me the ability to photograph in low light situations without having to introduce an artificial light source. I wanted to maintain that ability, yet with just a slight bit more compression in the background. So I decided to with from the 85mm to the 105mm. It is a dream lens for sure. I love using it.

Canon 1dxmk3. Sigma 105 Prime. 1/40, F2.5, 105mm

Early in the morning when the beautiful people of Ethiopia are starting their day, I love to spend time with them photographing and learning about their culture. This is a time when I will often use my Sigma 14-24mm 2.8 Art Lens. I will normally take a low camera angle and photograph the mornings activities with a natural and candid approach. Often these days start very early, normally just as the sun is making its appearance for the day. I find myself photographing in very low light conditions and using the lenses 2.8 aperture quite often. As the light improves I may also use an aperture setting that allows me a bit more depth of field . However, I truly enjoy using the wide lens with a minimal depth of field.

Canon 1dxmk3. Sigma 14-24 Lens. 1/320, f2.8, 14mm

Canon 1dxmk3. Sigma 14-24 Lens. 1/640, f4, 14mm

Canon 1dxmk3. Sigma 14-24 Lens. 1/150, f2.8, 17mm

Canon 1dxmk3. Sigma 14-24 Lens. 1/30, f2.8, 14mm

In conclusion, I am a huge admirer of the line up of Sigma Lenses. I do have my favorites and the three lens that I use when photographing the tribes in wild and remote Ethiopia are right at the top of favorites list. I try to select my lenses to match my style of photography and these lenses meet those needs. I use gear that is an extension and a pathway of expressing my personality. My gear is a tool and a connection to the expressions of how I view and share the world through my photography. I am very specific to select the gear that fits into my style and my technique. These Sigma lenses are the very windows that allow me to enjoy, feel, create, and share my love of photography.

Canon 1dxmk3. Sigma 105 Lens. 1/5000, f7.1, 105mm

I am excited to head back to the remote parts of wild Ethiopia where we find and photograph tribes that still live and practice their traditional cultures. We have spent years establishing relationships with these wonderful people and the experienced guides and interpreters that accompany us on these life changing journeys. I love sharing this amazing adventure and teaching the techniques of people photography in such an inspiring and interesting location.

Canon R3. Sigma 60-600 Lens. 1/640, f5, 79mm

08.24.2022by kdooleyin Pantanal, Uncategorized

Sigma The Jaguar

All Wildlife Images made on a Canon R3 with a Sigma 60-600 Lens

The sunrise over the Cuiaba river was the perfect accompaniment to a hot cup of rich Brazilian coffee. I glanced to the southwest and felt a twinge of excitement running through my body. Another beautiful day in the wild Pantanal is about to begin. My safari group has had a wonderful start to our jaguar safari. With two days of some of the very best jaguar sightings I have experienced, we have already photographed several beautiful jaguars . Today we will travel several miles up the Cuiaba river and connect to one of my favorite areas of the wild Pantanal. The narrow and winding upper Caxiri Channel. An area that is normally full of wildlife. The large caiman hug the shorelines in search of fish and the many birds offer such wonderful photographic opportunities. The capybaras sit upon the river banks and occasionally swim and feed along the waters edge. All this activity keeps our cameras busy, however, it also provides both food and the perfect habitat for the jaguar. Today we will explore and enjoy the wild and beautiful Pantanal.

Our boat captain was a very quiet man. Often protecting his face with a bandana and his eyes with dark sunglasses. Due to my lack of speaking his native language and his inability to speak mine, we became experts in the art of hand gestures. However, there was one word that we both shared with full excitement. “Jaguar”. I have always had a fairly good knack for spotting wildlife but, compared to our boat captain, my ability of spotting Jaguars in the thick jungle was not even close to the his abilities. He was also an expert in navigating our boat through the river channels of the wild Pantanal, often having to avoid fallen trees and masses of floating vegetation.

Enjoying our journey up the Cuiaba river, stopping to photograph monkeys, birds, and caiman, along the way, we eventually reached the mouth of the Caxiri channel. A narrow and sandy opening led us into the channel and we began our adventure down the winding and narrow waterway that would eventually empty back out into the main river. A few years back I had seen two jaguar brothers in this area and I was hoping to find at least one of them again. I was curious to see how the young jaguars had grown and flourished. Just shortly after stopping to photograph a family of capybaras I glanced to the river bank in front of us. We were entering a very sharp turn and the river bank was tall and steep. As I scanned the thick vegetation upon the tall river bank, I spotted a jaguar looking straight at us. Before I could get a word out our boat captain beat me to it. “Jaguar, Jaguar”, he said.

I had my Canon R3 with my favorite Sigma lens, the Sigma 60-600, resting on my lap and ready for action. I quickly brought the camera to my eye and managed to get a few images before the jaguar moved into some thick bushes. I immediately realized that this must be a shy jaguar and possibly a jaguar that has not been spotted or photographed previously. We slowly worked our way around the river bend and continued to look for the jaguar. With no visual, we decided to wait a few minutes and see if she reappeared. I saw an area on the riverbank that looked to be a trail through an opening that came to a stop at the rivers edge. I asked the caption to slowly back the boat up so that I could see down the trail. In doing this we spotted the jaguar laying down on the trail just far enough back that we could not see her from our previous position. Again I began to photograph her and at this moment our other boat arrived. The guide and I came to the conclusion that this was a new jaguar to the area. She was shy and did not stay around for too long. We felt she was a jaguar that had not been seen or photographed before.

That evening we touched base with the wildlife biologist and compared the images to the jaguars that have been discovered in the area. There is a complete list of photographs of the various jaguars along with their given names that help the biologists keep track of the jaguar population in the Pantanal. After confirming this was a new jaguar to the area, I was allowed to submit the photographs and present a name for the new jaguar.

Why would we name a wild animal? The Pantanal holds the largest concentration of wild jaguars in the world. The importance of studying and maintaining a healthy population of jaguars is vital to the continuation of this rare and beautiful species. Each jaguar is unique in appearance, having specific and identifiable markings and patterns helps the researchers and biologists to keep track of the well being of each individual jaguar. Such important details such as age, reproduction, habitat, diets, and interactions with each other as well as other species can be studied. The jaguar population within the Pantanal is a very important indicator to the over all health of the jaguar species. Therefore it is much easer to keep records and study information on a specific jaguar when it has a given name.

Why would I name a jaguar “Sigma”? I tried to share my reasons in writing this little piece of how I feel about my Sigma 60-600 lens. My travel companion and friend, indeed I am so grateful to you. The joy I have had, the happiness I have felt, the accomplishments you have given to me. So trustworthy and solid. In all that you have shown to me, close and clear, wide and fulfilling, bright and crisp. With approximately a million images, three cameras, over eleven country’s, and several years of being my main lens, I do believe you deserve this special award. So in your honor I have named this amazing wild and beautiful jaguar “Sigma”.

Being blessed with the honor of naming a wild jaguar with the purpose of helping their population flourish goes beyond my wildest dreams. To explore such amazing places as the wild Pantanal, is an adventure beyond words! As our week in the Pantanal continued, we would end up having photographic opportunities that were incredible. With every outing both morning and afternoon we found and photographed many different Jaguars. If this journey is an example of how the Pantanal gets better and better each and every year, I can not wait to see what next year brings in the wilds of Brazil. A true wildlife photographers dream place.