Tigers on the Run
RJB India Tours

http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/640s f/11.0 at 250.0mm iso1250

Something about the Scent!

Join my photo tours!!

A tiger smells a scent of another animal, and becomes somewhat disturbed!

We are enjoying the +42 C heat, and trying our best to enjoy the beauty of our natural world. Special thanks to India for preserving the Tiger as best as can be!! Lets keep this animal species alive and well!

Our comfort is in superb care at the awesome hotel - http://www.ranthambhor.com/

This animal is so incredible!

Never use tiger products please! Respect this creature for our children's children to see, and love as so many visitors do here in Ranthambore.

Contact me for more "Bengal Tiger Photo Tours" to see these Tigers!
ray@raymondbarlow.com

Love Nature in India!

Tiger Snarl!
RJB India Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com

Ustad T24 - The Master!

Several sightings and images from this recent tour were taken of this superb cat - Ustad. At 250 kilos, or 551 pounds, he is massive.

8 jeeps were lined up for about 1.5 hours to witness his behavior. At the beginning, he was laying down on the dry leaves, yawning, stretching, and rolling over. Later, a drink in the small creek, some scent marking, and he privacy was granted as he quietly walked into the forest, out of sight.

It's easy for me to open up these files, and process the images. Maybe 2-3 minutes work. Much more difficult is the attempt to convey how spectacular this sight is to witness.

I have seen a lot since I started studying wildlife and nature... when I was 5., but nothing even slightly compares to the viewing of the incredible Royal Bengal Tiger. The experience is overwhelming!

This comes with a difficult set of challenges to overcome. Besides my fee, the trip to this location from Toronto is extensive! The flights are comfortable, but very long. We do sleep on the planes, to help make it through the journey.

Dust is an issue, these days the roads are dry, so when following another safari truck we do get some dust. The heat! +40-44 C was not all that bad. 12-15% humidity made the climate reasonably comfortable.

A miss! We do not see tigers on every game drive, but we do our best working with the awesome guides. Our 2 guides for this tour - Ajay and Ashoke did a wonderful job taking good care of us. Very good drivers too., as we must have one driver, and one forestry department guide in every vehicle.

Saving Grace? Even on a bad day in the forest, the wonderful hotel - Ranthambhore Regency was our home. We would trek back to this home base for a shower, awesome food, drinks, and a good rest. Beautiful clean rooms, privacy, peace and quiet. And we have excellent staff and services.

During the entire tour I am coaching our guests, during the drive, dinner, breakfast, rest time in the bar with post processing info, demonstrations, etc. I am there to help you any way I can.

We had good sighting of deer, antelope, monkeys, many birds, bear, besides the tigers, so all is good. I think we only had one slow day!

I do have another tour prepared for mid June, please let me know if you are interested!

ray@raymondbarlow.com

Tiger in for a Swim!
Tiger tours to India!

http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/500s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso1000

Only 1/320th of a Second!

Sometimes a slow shutter-speed can still give a nice looking hummingbird a good result. I was shooting here with my old back up camera, as I lent my prime camera to a guest, who had problems with his gear.

When it come to these amazing birds, any kind of camera can give a beautiful image, due to the shear wonder of nature!

I am really looking forward to going back to Costa Rica on April 30th, as we have 2 guests (Suraj and Rajesh!) coming here all the way from India! Good friends, and great photographers!

Thanks so much for looking!

All the comments, and shares keep me inspired to continue!

Protect our environment, save nature please!

Raymond


Green-crowned Brilliant Male in Flight
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/320s f/4.0 at 240.0mm iso640

The Female Calls to her Mate!

We carefully watched these 2 pygmy owls for a morning, on a hill adjacent to a farm property, south of San Jose, Costa Rica.

The Male was more active, flying form perch to perch, the female would call once in a while to possibly guard the area., as their nest site was close by. Being careful not to disturb them, we came in and left quietly. these birds seemed totally indifferent to our presence.

A shot of the 2 mating, (posted earlier) was so cool, as this was the first time for me to see owls mating. Hopefully another chance in the future!

Thanks to everyone for looking, commenting, and sharing my images!

Kind regards, and have a very good week!

Costa Rican Pygmy Owl - Female Calling
RJB Costa Rica Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1000s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso2500

My gift to you:

To photograph such amazing nature can be such a reward.

With nothing more then a bird, a flower, and natural light. It's simple!

I think the real key to nature photography is the ability to sit back, and to learn these species habits. What do they like, when and how? Understanding how nature works, then enjoying the moments is a truly superb experience.

Sometimes very special things happen, as some of you who have followed my Nature Image galleries may have seen. I have been so fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.

I do think the most awesome part of the entire acquisition of these images is the opportunity to share the techniques with my guests, and to share the images with you! Many people around the world will never have such a chance to see these incredible birds, and their beautiful habitat., so here is my gift... and thanks to the wonderful technology of the internet, photos like these will become more and more available to everyone in all corners of the world.

Thanks to everyone on G+, almost 63 million views since last February!

I appreciate all the support!

Please respect our natural world, and give back the environment to nature.

Raymond.


Magnificent Hummingbird in Flight
RJB Costa Rica Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1250s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso1600

Almost like a Dream!

Just after a light rain, still some mist sprinkling in the cloud forest, we have this so beautiful bird feeding on a natural flower! At 9,000 feet above sea level!

The Green Violet-ear has such amazing colours, the greens and blues blend in so well with the forest background along with the bright orange on the flower.

At this location we see the fiery-throated, the magnificent, volcano, the green violet-ear all fighting for territory.

Hundreds of bird, and only one camera! No doubt, this is very overwhelming.

Thanks to you for sharing, and commenting, very much appreciated!

Thanks to Costa Rica for protecting the environment, and saving these amazing cloud forests!

Please help and respect nature!

Green Violet-ear in Flight
RJB Costa Rica Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1000s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso1600

A hike in the woods with my 9 year old daughter!

And a great friend, we has a wonderful experience with this very tiny owl, only about 5 inches long! all bunbled up in its feathers, keeping warm in the very chilly climate here in southern Ontario, this bird posed for us for about 20 minutes!! We left it alone to sleep, then moved on to find other opportunities.

My Maria really enjoyed the visit! there is something about owls that she finds amazing! Maybe its that look!! This species of owl is more then adorable, so that helps too!

Setting up with a tripod, shooting a low shutter speed, low iso, and high f-stop worked well with these conditions. Very little light, and since we were so close (about 10 feet), depth of field was important.

Best wishes for a good day, thanks for your kind support, and nice comments, and shares!

Raymond.

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Amazing Colours of Hummingbirds

Such a privilege to have an opportunity to enjoy nature in Costa Rica. These birds have iridescent feathers that reflect the light with different colours depending on the angle you see them.

Thanks to those who share, +1, and comment on my images, very much appreciated! I hope to have more images prepared soon!

Have a good day,

Raymond.


Fiery-throated Hummingbird
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1600s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso2500

The superb beauty of the "Resplendent Quetzal!"

Thanks to the good people in the forests and farms of Costa Rica for giving these birds their habitat. The people protect the avocado trees that these birds feed on, and make very sure the environment is as good as it can be! This area is soooo clean!

I have friends that monitor up to 8 pairs of nesting Quetzals, so we have good sightings each time we visit. They take such good care of me!

After 17 completed photo tours to Costa Rica, I am proud to say congratulations to all of my connections for doing such a great job preserving nature.

Thanks to you people here on Google for sharing my works, and all the kind comments! There are no better rewards then having nice people appreciate my work.

Still 2 spots open for this next tour April 30th!

Best regards!

Resplendent Quetzal
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/60s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso200

The Beauty of Environment!

Adding the element of environment can really set a nature photo past the actual capture of the species. 80% of my thought and artistic energy is dedicated to finding just the right surroundings for my subjects.

I hope you enjoy this beautiful sparrow, image photographed on my most recent tour to Costa Rica! Join me for my next one in 4 weeks?

Always respecting nature... best wishes and happy Easter.

Raymond

071

The Female Volcano Hummingbird

Such a princess!

Much like a bee, she floats around the flowers, trying to stay out of the larger birds way. She is a beauty!

Thanks for looking!

Volcano Hummingbird in Flight
RJB Costa Rica Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1600s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso3200

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Still 2 spots left for my next Photo-Tour!

April 30th, 2015 - Join me here in Costa Rica!

What an amazing bird, such wonderful colours with this fiery-throated hummingbird!! Thanks to my guests this last two tours, we had a great time, so much fun! 17 tours now complete for this destination, number 18 coming soon., and also India this month too!

Thanks to you for sharing and commenting on my images, I am
so fortunate to have so many people who follow my work!

Best wishes, and take good care of our natural world!

Fiery-throated Hummingbird
RJB Costa Rica Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/2000s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso3200

The Colour Attracts!!

Almost everyone, but the colours of these flowers attract the hummingbirds, since they have no sense of smell.

Usually the brightest flower works best for hummingbird photography. This beautiful male Green-crowned brilliant came in for some nectar during our phototour last week. Even a shutter-speed as low as 1/1600 was able to do a nice job freezing the wings. all natural light with all of my images., no flash is ever used.

Thanks to all who share and comment, so much appreciated!

Save our planet, and respect nature please., for our children.

Raymond

Green-crowned Brilliant
RJB Costa Rica Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1600s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso2500

Sweet Nature in Costa Rica!

Thanks for looking and commenting on my images!

One more full day of shooting here with my guests, then back to Canada soon. We have had an amazing time, wonderful people, and beautiful nature.

I hope you like this shot!


Female Magnificent Hummingbird
RJB Costa Rica Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/2500s f/4.0 at 300.0mm iso2500

Hummingbird in Flight!

Hosting a tour here in Wonderful Costa Rica., lots to do, so not a lot of time to type!! More soon!

Thanks for looking, best wishes for health and take care of our nature please!!

Raymond - on Tour!!

Fiery-throated Hummingbird
RJB Costa Rica Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1250s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso3200

A Couple of Firsts!

First time seeing this species, first time seeing owls Mate!

Lots of great shooting here in Costa Rica.

One more week here, then I am off to India!

Thanks for looking, commenting, and sharing, very much appreciated!

Best wishes to you and your families.

Please help save nature.


Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl Pair Mating
RJB Costa Rica Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/4000s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso4000

Pure Beauty in Nature!

We are enjoying our tour here in Costa Rica, the opportunity to view this Pygmy Owl and his mate was superb. Touring this amazing wonderland of hummingbirds, tanagers, toucans is a true privilege!

Special thanks to the excellent people in this country for taking such good care of the natural environment.

Please respect nature, and nature will respect you!

Best wishes... back to Canada next week, then India for the middle of April!

Raymond.


Costa Rican Pygmy Owl - Male
RJB Costa Rica Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1000s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso2000

Pretty Female on a Flower

Thanks to everyone for so many views, likes, comment, and shares this past few months!

So much appreciated.

Image taken on a recent tour to Ecuador, we really had so much fun with so many hummingbirds! One of my favourite things to do in life is create images of these incredible birds.

Best wishes, thanks again!

Please enjoy and respect nature!



Woodstar Hummingbird
RJB Ecuador Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1600s f/7.1 at 400.0mm iso2500

Beautiful Nature in Ecuador! - + more tours soon!

Thanks to my guests for another awesome tour south to the land of green, and hummingbirds. We had an incredible time visiting 5 photography locations, all at different elevations.

Each lodge has their own species of birds, with so many different views to work with as a photographer. Everything is so well protected and preserved to help wildlife and birds survive.

My next tours.. Costa Rica, then India, back to Costa Rica, Newfoundland, Africa, India in October, then Ecuador in November.

Join my photo tours, and have fun with so many spectacular subjects!


Booted Racket-tail - Ecuador Photo Tours
RJB Ecuador Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/800s f/8.0 at 340.0mm iso3200

Owl Lift Off! + Raptors Workshops

This short-eared owl took off looking for a vole in the snow yesterday evening, while my daughter Maria and I watched in amazement.

They hover over the snow, listen closely for the critters to squeak, then dive in to catch them for dinner. As much as 14" of snow, and they still were able to successfully find food.

We saw at least 40 dives, and at least 5 voles captured. Real nature is superb to watch and enjoy! On our return trip tonight, we did not see any owls, but enjoyed the challenge, and very happy with what we have seen this past winter.

This weekend.. 3 Raptor in Flight workshops here in Ontario, Canada, still room in each one for you! Email - ray@raymondbarlow.com

Please enjoy and respect nature.

Thanks to everyone for all the likes, comments, and shares on Google+. Over 10 million views in February!

Best wishes to you!

Hummingbird in Flight!

All natural light!

A wonderful tour and fantastic guests in Ecuador during this past January, the very first tour for me to host in this beautiful country.

Join me and my group in November 2015??

We still have room for you.

Sparkling Violet-ear
RJB Ecuador Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/2000s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso1600

Africa's Tiny Beauty - Join my photo tour in August?

Little Bee-eater

One of my favorite birds in Africa, the tiny green and yellow gem is beautiful, and so much fun to watch. They keep the air clean of wasps, dragonfly's, horsefly's, and other pests.

They fly like lightening, so a very tough flight shot., but I will definitely give this a try on our next tour this summer. Details here!

http://tinyurl.com/nnovq9a

We will also visit the Mara River Wildebeests Crossings, one of natures most amazing spectacles! This is prime season for the crocodiles to be looking for massive food supply's as the animals cross the river.

Please private message me for more info!


Little Bee Eater in Tanzania
RJB Africa Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/160s f/7.1 at 400.0mm iso320

The Horseshoe Pose!

Something about this pose that I do like very much from a raptor in flight. When we have our guests at these flight workshops, I like to try to catch the birds flight directly into the cameras lens. If the timing works out well, and the wings are down, to me this is very cool.

Thanks to everyone here who enjoys my images. I hope your doing very well, and I do hope you will please try to respect nature.

3 new workshops next weekend while we still have some snow!

Thanks for looking, and thanks to those who share my images!

Snowy Owl in Flight (captive)
RJB Raptors in Flight Workshops
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/2500s f/4.0 at 200.0mm iso1000

Just about 16 months old!!

And on it's way to Winnipeg!

So, I am just now preparing to host photo tours at the Toronto Zoo. Executive Directer - Dr. William Rapley invited my family for a special VIP Tour this past Sunday, Wow, what an amazing place!

Lots of new developments on the property, including new research and hospital facilities now being built.

Our VIP pass got us into some really cool areas in the zoo that are off limits to the public, which was really nest! Maria came home with lots of study material, and can't wait for a return visit!

Thanks for looking, let me know if you would like to join a specialized photo tour of the Toronto Zoo!

Polar Bear (captive)
RJB Toronto Zoo Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/8000s f/4.0 at 200.0mm iso640

A Gem in the Woods - Saw-whet Owl

(warning, a little gruesome!)

We almost finished a 1.5 hour hike in deep snow, when we came upon this tiny owl (about the size of a pop can!) deep in the woods. It was sitting quietly on its kill, almost totally hidden from view!

We found an angle and took a few shots. These birds a very friendly, and usually will not fly away, once found. The bird had already removed the voles stomach, as it (the stomach of the vole) was hanging on the branch below the kill. An amazing site to see in real nature!

Special thanks to everyone for an amazing February on Google+, over 11 million views!

Thanks for looking, wishing you a good week!

Contact me here if you wish -
http://tinyurl.com/kdduyav

Saw-whet Owl
RJB Wild Birds of Ontario Workshops
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/15s f/13.0 at 200.0mm iso200

3 spots left for this weekend! !! "+ My Newsletter"

Raptors in Flight workshops

Feb 28th and March 1st, 2015 - Near Simone Ontario.
More new dates to be set up soon.

These workshops take place inside a falconers training area, he has his birds fly for my guests for 3 full hours. Some birds will do their flight as many as 25-30 times.

This is a beautiful male snowy owl, just coming up to his second birthday.

We usually do 2 programs for each weekend of workshops, since many people from across Canada and the United States will fly into Toronto, and join these workshops.

If you want the latest info regarding my upcoming programs, please register for my once a month newsletter here.. click!

http://raymondbarlow.blogspot.ca/2014/06/raymond-barlows-newsletter-registration.html

Thanks for looking!


Snowy Owl in Flight (captive)
RJB Raptors in Flight Workshops
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/2500s f/4.0 at 200.0mm iso1000

Cougar (captive)
RJB Muskoka Wildlife Center Workshops

http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/200s f/4.5 at 70.0mm iso250

Two Beautiful Females!

Nature does not get much prettier! (no flash!)

It took me more then a day to find the right place to photograph these birds. One of the best locations I have seen in the world for bird photography. We will be going back to Ecuador many times in the years to come.

Best wishes to everyone for a good weekend, stay warm, and healthy!

Please do everything you can to respect nature!


2 Green Crowned Brilliants in Ecuador (Females!)
RJB Ecuador Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/250s f/5.6 at 360.0mm iso2000

Thanks to my guest and friend: Mr Dick Collins. We had a great time in Ecuador this past January! Thanks to Dick for helping me with the set-up of this shot and for finding the perch. The creative process and also working with nature in a "kind and respectful way" is the key to success. Most of all, study, and understanding of real nature. Knowing what these birds and animals need for survival, and how we can best support them. Capturing the beauty is my fun, even more fun to share these incredible creatures with so many people who do not have a chance to go see for themselves. Photographers need to respect. Stand back, and allow things to happen, then be ready to capture the shot. It takes tenacity, and patience. Working hard for a shot is really worth the effort! Thanks to you for viewing and sharing my images!! So much appreciated! My next Ecuador tour is set for November 2015. - Please click > http://tinyurl.com/q8e7w8r Happy Family Day! Green Crowned Brilliant RJB Ecuador Tours www.raymondbarlow.com 1/1000s f/5.6 at 350.0mm iso2000

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Mostly blurry!!
But for some reason, to me, it still looks ok. A nice bird found in the mountains of Ecuador on my most recent tour. Thanks to my guests, and all the nice people we met during our travels. More tours to Ecuador coming this year!

Buff-tailed Coronet
RJB Ecuador
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/640s f/4.0 at 380.0mm iso2500

There is something about the eyes! + Thanks G+!

A great horned owl has an amazing look, as these birds can look us straight in the eye!

Even more fun when the bird is flying directly into the camera! My falconer friend will fly this bird at least 15 times down a preset flight plan. All of my guests have there line covers, as we blast away with our cameras.

Thanks for looking, commenting, and sharing!
36 million views since this time last year is awesome!

Great Horned owl in Flight (captive)
RJB Birds in Flight Workshops
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1600s f/4.0 at 200.0mm iso400

Green-crowned Brilliants Male and Female
RJB Ecuador Tours

http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/160s f/6.3 at 400.0mm iso2000

067

It is Interesting -

That a Hummingbird cannot walk!

The gift of light is any hummingbirds main source of movement. their legs are designed to perch only! Too compensate, these birds are the only type that can actually fly in reverse!

Enjoying nature, and all its wonder can be a truly memorable experience. To spend 9 days on tour to this wonderful country is such a privilege. The peace and quiet in the mountains of Ecuador is remarkable.

My tour in November is all prepared, please feel free to enquirer.
http://tinyurl.com/q8e7w8r


Purple-bibbed Whitetip
RJB Ecuador Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/4000s f/4.5 at 350.0mm iso3200

Incredible Colours!

Just the right angle with all natural light!

I never use flash for any nature photography, I love using available light., for the true colours and texture of a birds beautiful feathers. Thanks to this cute bird for showing its iridescent feathers.

Travel to Ecuador is superb... my new tour is set up for November 2015, please feel free to email me if your interested!

ray@raymondbarlow.com


Green-crowned Woodnymph
RJB Ecuador Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/800s f/4.0 at 210.0mm iso2500

Tour to Ecuador:

A wonderful experience. I can only post my images and suggest how much we enjoyed this experience, this place is great for hosting photo tours!

Thanks to everyone for all the nice comments and re-shares. Very much appreciated!

Booted racket-tail
RJB Ecuador Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/8000s f/4.0 at 360.0mm iso3200

It's hard to imagine

How amazing, beautiful, and peaceful the country of Ecuador was during our tour.

We were so far away from any village, or town, up in the mountains - -
fresh cool air, and the environment singing with incredible wildlife.
Special thanks to our hosting guides, cooks, drivers, we had an excellent visit.

Plans are now under way for the next tour! I hope you will consider joining us.

Many more hummingbird images to follow.

Thanks for looking, and thanks to everyone who shares my images!

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
RJB Ecuador Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/5000s f/4.5 at 340.0mm iso3200

Two pretty Females -

Coming into one flower for a drink. This is always a hopeful scene to capture, finding 2 hummingbirds that are both sharp and on a nice flower.

We sure had some fun in Ecuador!

I really look forward to the next tour.

Best regards, thanks for looking.
ray@raymondbarlow.com
http://www.raymondbarlow.com

Female Woodstars.
Ecuador Tours with Raymond.

1/1600 sec; f/7.1; ISO 2500
@ 350 mm.

300th image in the G+ nature images gallery since I started., 33 million views!

thanks so much to everyone!

Missing a Wing?

Not really.. bad timing I guess, but I figured this was at least an interesting shot. The birds right wing is behind its body.

Thanks to everyone whom is browsing my nature images gallery, and sharing these images. My goal here is to share the beauty of nature, in hopes that some day we will all put a high priority on keeping our planet clean, and lots of green for real nature and wildlife to enjoy.

So many nice comments, and shares help keep me going, thanks for the inspiration!

Best wishes, raymond.


Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
RJB Ecuador Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/250s f/5.6 at 290.0mm iso2000

Purple-bibbed Whitetip

Travel to Ecuador is so easy.

We were off the plane, and into our first lodge room in about 1.5 hours.. beautiful highways, clean rooms, superb food, and excellent hosts. A dream photo trip.

Thanks to my guests, my first time in this wonderful country was a true success., and I am heading back there soon!!

Take good care.

Purple-bibbed Whitetip
RJB Ecuador Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/4000s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso3600

Sweet Gift from Ecuador

So pretty, this more then awesome looking bird indeed!

The Violet-tailed Sylph was one of the most beautiful and lightning fast hummingbirds that I have ever seen. This male would dart around so quickly, it was extremely difficult to capture.

With just the right light, the tail feathers would shine their iridescence, to portray the wonderful colours of violet / blue. I am very much looking forward to the return tour coming up in November, these locations are fantastic for hummingbird photography!

The magnificence of flight, combined with colour and beauty.

Thanks so much for looking and sharing my images!
ray@raymondbarlow.com

Violet-tailed Sylph
RJB Ecuador Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1600s f/4.0 at 240.0mm iso3200

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A Very Special Bird

And a special experience!

We traveled south to Ecuador last week, and really had a wonderful tour. Thanks to my guests for supporting my business.

When we arrived at this incredible location, the first bird I saw was this sweet, friendly, and so beautiful Booted Racket-tail. With so many different birds at this property so high in the mountains, we had great choices with species to photograph.

But this little guy stood out for me. Several Racket-tails posed throughout the 2 1/2 day shoot here in the mountains of Ecuador. Definitely not an easy shot, but the conditions were excellent here, and with some creative efforts my fiends and I were able to catch a few shots. many more to come!

Thanks to the wonderful, kind and helpful people of Ecuador. We were treated with a very nice atmosphere during the tour. Our guides, drivers, lodge staff, cooks were awesome.

Can't wait to go back in November for another tour.

Take care., see you next time.

And thanks for looking, thanks for sharing!!

Booted Racket-tail
RJB Ecuador Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/640s f/7.1 at 340.0mm iso3200

Dedicated to my brother, may he RIP.

Lost my older brother this week, best guy in the world. Geoff was a school trustee, fire fighter, town council, church activities, scuba diver, big family guy, wonderful children and my best friend. (also a good photographer, he and my brother in law Marty got me started in this 35 years ago!)

Much like our mother, he was the type of person that you would have a hard time saying anything bad about. My hero as a kid, he was 18 years older then me. I never stopped respecting him, and all the advice he was willing to share.

I use his words all the time in my posts, emails, texts, etc...

Take Care!

Thanks Goodness Geoff Barlow was a part of my life.. he will be sadly missed., and I am heartbroken.

Booted Racket-tail - Ecuador
We had a very good tour here, heading home soon.

Ecuador - Superb nature and beauty.

The forests, mountains, lodges, and infrastructure were incredible. We really had a nice time! These locations in the mountains of Ecuador were strategically chosen to accommodate the nature enthusiasts, and photographers.

Also, the birds! Every elevation has it own set of species. We were fortunate to see and photograph many new birds. So amazingly beautiful, and so much fun to capture new images. Working with each location was interesting. We would start off slow, then create strategies for photography.

It's not easy, this kind of creativity takes a lot of time and thought.

Lucky for me I have had a lot of practice in Costa Rica!

Thanks for looking, and sharing, - the coolest thing about nature photography is that so many different people around the world enjoy this images. Almost 32 million on G+ since last Feb. 2014 - so cool!

Take Care!

Thanks to my friends in Ecuador!

We just returned to the Toronto Airport last night with our group, and wow, what a tour! Thanks to our guides, drivers, cooks, and all the people involved in planing this tour. The sights were spectacular.

One of my guests, Mr. Dick Collins recommended this company... Magic Birding Circuit. We had beautiful lodging, and so many birds considering this was the rainy season!

Mostly hummingbirds for me on this trip. All locations had platform viewing areas with roof tops. we could shoot all directions, and stay out of the rain. Many days were just cloudy, with sunny breaks.

Lots of cool species, lots of fun with my guests.. just excellent people.

Now, I have 5,300 images of hummingbirds to sort out! The work begins. I did edit a few during the flight home yesterday, so here is a sample.

My next tour to Ecuador will come during the first week in November.
Please feel free to join us!

Female Green Thorntail
RJB Ecuador Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/640s f/5.6 at 400.0mm iso3200