After finishing a kill, this mother cheetah spent 5 minutes with her cubs licking each others faces to clean up. We can see they missed a few spots, but the added colour adds a story full dimension.

The dark lines under the cheetahs eyes help with vision while looking into the sun, an adaptation gifted by nature. Giving the animal some added advantage besides its complimentary 70 mph running speed.

With her ears down half way and turned, it seems the cheetah is monitoring sounds from all directions, as at this point she was missing one of her cubs.

Superb real nature in Africa.

Cheetah Portrait
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/500s f/5.6 at 400.0mm iso640

I'm not sure about posting such images, as I am sure that this may offend some people. So, this is nature, and interesting if nothing else.

Unfortunately, such bad light for this one.

We were lucky to see so many lions on this tour. At least 15 mating's. So many cool scenes, and fun shooting. Many more to come. (but most likely, this will be my last post of lions mating)

Thanks for looking!

Lions Mating with Expression
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and

Aug 2018 + Feb 2019 coming soon!

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/3200s f/5.0 at 360.0mm iso1000

Giraffe in the Trees
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

Tanzania Tours
ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/160s f/5.0 at 400.0mm iso250

Auto-clean system

The East African Cape Buffalo has a very interesting, and natural cleaning system! The Yellow-billed oxpecker - bird! With as many as 10-15 birds climbing around on this huge animals body, they pick away at the ticks, and tick larva - 1,000's each day per bird!

Keeps life clean and healthy for the buffalo, and the birds make for a nice decoration placed nicely on a somewhat obnoxious looking beast!

raymond in Tanzania.

Cape Buffalo and Yellow-billed Oxpeckers
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/400s f/5.6 at 400.0mm iso320

Northern Hawk Owl with lunch.

Amazing to watch real nature - No Bait. Sit and wait!

After 2.5 hours of watching this owl sleep, it decided to look for a meal. Jumping from tree to tree, searching the food that it has stored in its cache, the owl pulled out a vole, and began to eat.

These owls have a habit of tearing off the head first, then finishing the rest in one gulp! Awesome to watch and witness the real thing.

Superb Nature.

raymond's tours.

Maria's image!

A day trip with Maria Dessiray to a cool location North of Ottawa March 8th, 2018.. and a visit with my buddy Bruce Kennedy. We had fun waiting for this owl to wake up! See Bruce's images for the whole story of a cool nature event.

I was messing with our second camera, trying to fine tune it for Maria, so she took over with my d850 and the 200-400 lens, and blasted about 15 shots, this is one of them.

Not bad for 12 yrs old!

Hope to head back up there Monday, and maybe a visit with some Great Greys this weekend, as Daisy had the weekend off.

take care!

Northern Hawk Owl with Lunch - Photo by Maria Barlow
Raymond's Canada Nature Photography Tours

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/1250s f/6.3 at 400.0mm iso1000

Local Red-tailed Hawks - so many around here to photograph!
I do hope to get out this weekend and watch them hunt, and fly.

More soon!

thanks for looking, raymond


Red-tailed hawk
Raymond's Ontario Nature Photography Tours

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/1250s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso160

Another shot of the Hyena coming over a ridge for water. A very large clan moved in, so difficult to get them all in focus, so I was happy to capture this one alone.

Hyena on the Ridge
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/8000s f/4.5 at 400.0mm iso800

Love Africa!

Our tour to the Ngorongoro Crater was a success

Besides the Black rhino shoot, we had several opportunities to watch and photograph some very cool scenes.

An entire Spotted Hyena Clan came to visit us as we were parked along side a small creek running through the bottom of the crater. Because of the bank on our side, we didn't get a good view of them drinking, but for me, this was a pretty nice view.

If I remember right, there were at least 8 animals, maybe more, I plan to review my files later, and maybe pick out one more shot to edit - some day.

thanks for looking, have a good day.

raymond

Hyenas on the Move for Water
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/8000s f/4.5 at 400.0mm iso800

Africa, India, Ecuador, Florida and Wild Owls!

Montagu's Harrier

Thank goodness for a little soft light when this guy flew by., another bird image taken at a fair distance, but I was able to recover the shot with the new D850 sensor.

Such a cool name too >

Montagu's Harrier in the Crater
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/3200s f/6.3 at 400.0mm iso1250

White-fronted bee-eater

Our guide/driver has a very sharp eye! He picked out these bee-eaters from about 80 yards away!

Very small in the frame, I thought it was worth a try, and the D850 has amazing cropping-resolution capabilities. Also, the single point AF did well in picking off these speedsters as they flew in and out of the tree with bugs.

With about 4 birds hanging out there, a bug in the area didn't stand a chance!

Love Africa!
Ecuador, Tigers of India, Tanzania Africa, Florida, and Costa Rica Tours with raymond

White-fronted bee-eater
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/1250s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso500

Warthog Family

Once in a while, we have a cool opportunity to photograph an interesting species. This family on warthogs kept their distance from us, while enjoying the eats from the natural vegetation.

Those tusks are impressive, the family connection is special, as they all need to watch out for each other, and guard against predators. Lions, cheetah, leopards, and hyena would all enjoy any of these young animals for a snack.

Superb real nature in Tanzania. Love Africa.

Warthog Family in Tanzania
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/800s f/9.0 at 400.0mm iso1000

Black Rhino Family.

one of the success stories in Tanzania. When I was there in 2011, my partner Nas told me they could account for 23 animals in the Ngorongoro Crater. Several towers surround the crater with 24 hour armed guards, radios, dispatch, and anti-poaching teams.

Now, my friends in TZ tell me there are over 50 Black rhinos in the Crater... a world renown natural site.

Worth the reading here -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngorongoro_Conservation_Area

We have had incredible sightings of these majestic rhinos over the year., I have never been to TZ without a view. Lucky? More then that... a species almost extinct., and a view back to the age of the dinosaur.

True nature, no fences, no baiting, superb respect for the land and the wildlife happens here in the North Swing locations on my itinerary.

All real.

thanks for looking.

Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/400s f/5.6 at 400.0mm iso500

Cape Buffalo - Ngorongoro Crater

The Cape buffalo always seems to be the biggest challenge in Africa. It is definitely easy to find them, but a good shot? This can be very difficult in my opinion.

A very dark animal, so in bright high sun light, such harsh shadows with from the top of it’s back down.

A very early morning shoot here in the crater, we had some overcast, soft light. a nice pose, with the crater wall in the distance.

A few more images of the Cape buffalo in the works., soon!

Thanks for looking.

Ecuador
Florida
Africa
Custom tours available

A young warthog bites the dust! - 1 of 8 images.

These are definitely not my best images, my camera was all set up for the lions sitting in the shade! Then Bang! this happens.. no time to adjust, so I just fire away and hope! Also, mid-day sun, bright, and heat wave did affect the images.

Thanks for looking!

Lions Hunting a Warthog
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/800s f/7.1 at 400.0mm iso400

A young warthog bites the dust! - 2 of 8 images.

A young warthog bites the dust! - 3 of 8 images.

A young warthog bites the dust! - 4 of 8 images.

A young warthog bites the dust! - 5 of 8 images.

A young warthog bites the dust! - 6 of 8 images.

A young warthog bites the dust! - 7 of 8 images.

A young warthog bites the dust! - 8 of 8 images.

Cheetahs at Play Series 12 Shots - Image 1 of 12

A bit of a long story, but this morning of February 12th, 2018 was pretty amazing for our group. Our advance scouts found a mother cheetah, and her two cubs, about 10 minutes from our camp. We arrived at the scene, and fired several images of the three of them finishing their kill, then licking each others faces.

Next, they were on the move, so I was looking off to the distance on my right, I saw they were heading for water. Easily keeping in front of their track, we maneuvered into several seriously good angles for photography.

So here, I have skipped to the play fight... after they had all drank some water, the 2 cubs began to jump around and carry on like kittens.

165 images later, I was almost in shock.. the D850 captured every image in excellent focus and exposure. Early am harsh light was not bad, the environment was sweet, and the action intense!

With this particular scene, we saw and captured a giant leap, one cheetah thought it was a bird for a second! Here are the first 3 shots, the next 3 shots show the cheetah even higher in the air, and landing... I will try to add the next three tomorrow.

This reminds me of the Great Tiger battle, take a few years ago in India, with Margaret Keller. that to was pretty awesome to see.

Somehow, luck follows me around., I can't explain that. I thank my brother Nas for getting me started in Tanzania!

Thanks for looking.

Cheetah Siblings at Play
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/4000s f/5.0 at 400.0mm iso400

Cheetahs at Play Series 12 Shots - Image 2 of 12

Cheetahs at Play Series 12 Shots - Image 3 of 12

Cheetahs at Play Series 12 Shots - Image 4 of 12

Cheetahs at Play Series 12 Shots - Image 5 of 12

Cheetahs at Play Series 12 Shots - Image 6 of 12

Cheetahs at Play Series 12 Shots - Image 7 of 12

Cheetahs at Play Series 12 Shots - Image 8 of 12

Cheetahs at Play Series 12 Shots - Image 9 of 12

Cheetahs at Play Series 12 Shots - Image 10 of 12

Cheetahs at Play Series 12 Shots - Image 11 of 12

Cheetahs at Play Series 12 Shots - Image 12 of 12

This superb hunting machine can't quit.
Still covered in blood from her most recent kill, she is already hunting the next dinner... in the distance, were 3 Zebra, one of which seemed to have a lame leg, walking with a limp.

The Zebra moved off as the lioness approached, so this hunt was not successful. We hope for more next time!
Aug. 2018!
Female Lion Hunting Zebra
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/1000s f/4.0 at 260.0mm iso100
Africa, India, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Florida

With an elevated view to this elephant, and shooting at iso 64, such lush greens, and a superb animal, we sure had fun on this day in Tarangire NP.

Next tour - August!

Elephant in Tanzania
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/100s f/5.6 at 260.0mm iso64

Black Rhino Family.

One of the success stories in Tanzania. When I was there in 2011, my partner Nas told me they could account for 23 animals in the Ngorongoro Crater. Several towers surround the crater with 24 hour armed guards, radios, dispatch, and anti-poaching teams.

Now, my friends in TZ tell me there are over 50 Black rhinos in the Crater... a world renown natural site.

Worth the reading here -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngorongoro_Conservation_Area

We have had incredible sightings of these majestic rhinos over the year., I have never been to TZ without a view. Lucky? More then that... a species almost extinct., and a view back to the age of the dinosaur.

True nature, no fences, no baiting, superb respect for the land and the wildlife happens here in the North Swing locations on my itinerary.

All real.

thanks for looking.

Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/400s f/5.6 at 400.0mm iso500

High winds and dust did not help this shot too much, but in some ways, the effect is cool. We had hundreds of giraffe to see and photograph during this tour, I am so thankful for the overwhelming beauty of Tanzania.

East African Giraffe Family - Tanzania
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/2500s f/5.6 at 200.0mm iso640

Love Africa!

A cheetah on the lookout for prey and enemies!

this beautiful healthy Cheetah and its partner were sitting in the tall grass, lounging when they popped up for a look. Sweet light, and just the right amount of depth of field to cover the animal in sharp focus made this one a favourite.

Such an incredibly superb cat! What a trip!

Cheetah on Guard - Tanzania
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/800s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso500

When this beautiful roller came in for a landing, it had a hard time finding its footing! Very fortunate to be ready, I was able to capture about 5 frames in different wing positions.

The pure beauty of wild Tanzania! - Love Africa!

Eurasian roller in a balancing act!
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/1000s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso1250

Fork-tailed drongo in Flight
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/2500s f/6.3 at 400.0mm iso1000

Gray-headed kingfisher
Tanzania - February 2018

Straight from the plane to the first game drive, no rest for eager photographers! And such luck!

Thanks for looking!

Gray headed Kingfisher
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/80s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso500

Bat-eared fox - Tanzania.

Our driver was good enough to allow me to get out of the truck, knowing that there were lions in the area, he kept an eye out for me. From what I hear, lions don't eat Canadians anyhow., too much fat!

Several shots later, I crawl back into the safari truck., all was well.

cute wee ones!

Thanks for looking!

Bat-eared fox Family
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/2500s f/5.0 at 400.0mm iso500

A visit back to the dinosaur age - and a virtually near extinct species... Black rhino - and calf.

We had a great look at there 2 for about 10 minutes, before they wandered out of sight., truly spectacular animals. soft light helped, but there were at a fair distance.

Taken in the Ngorongoro crater!

Black rhino Family
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/500s f/5.6 at 360.0mm iso500

It's going to take a while!

Such a great trip, I really can't explain. From start to finish, excitement, and fantastic imaging!

Perfect? Not a chance. Lots of harsh light, wind, dust like crazy, no wifi at the last camp! Sure, I could complain, but the positives blow away the negatives.

Flights we awesome.. food was excellent the whole trip, guests were fantastic! (< a big deal for me!)

I have never been so excited to get home and review my images.. tons of time, culling, and favouriting the good shots.

If anyone is interested in going to Africa with me, and you would like to see all my best shots, I will have them all on a private page later this week., converted straight from the raw files to a smaller jpeg.

This viewing is only if you are seriously interested.

More posts soon, and keep up with Ashley Hockenberry.. he will be posting regularly too., Ashley did very well! Contact him if you would like an honest opinion about our tour.

Take care!

A belated wish to my dream girls Daisy Barlow and Maria Dessiray.. thanks for everything hug, and for all the dreams come true.

Valentines Day Lions
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/1000s f/5.0 at 260.0mm iso125

Another quick edit this morning... it's fun for a change to be going through this tours image results with a sense of excitement.

I did have my mac-book pro with me, recently upgraded to Serra OS, also, updating my raw file viewer to view NX-i, and just my luck, I get on the plane and miss the updates.

While viewing a few files in Africa, the MB Pro, kept crashing... maybe after viewing 10-12 shots. So, I give up, and just use the machine to backing up my cards - That didn't even work well. Frustrated, I get home, and copy everything to my 8 TB drive, using my iMac, and then also the doing the OS + View NXi updates, now working perfectly with both machines.

Nice.

So, the moral is - if your going out on a tour - double and triple check for updates, and make 100% sure they are working well before you leave.

On this tour = after firing exactly 7,650 images, I culled, and tagged 390 "candidates" to possibly edit. My guess is that I will edit maybe 75 of them over the next 6-8 months., this depends on how busy life and business is for me. I still have a ton of editing to do from 2017, a very busy year.

This trip was full of "firsts" for me... here we have a decent shot of the Banded mongoose pair... All I have from my previous 5 tours is too many shots of them running away.

Such a cool animal!

Also, a first for me is about 120 shots of a large (about 15) family their cousins, called - Dwarf Mongoose... That was fun! Very early morning light, pushing the iso, really hoping for a sharp shot.

So, enough rambling on here... I'm sure my friends who know me can see how exited I am, and can't wait to go back.

Have a good day.

Banded mongoose
Raymond Barlow Photo Tours to Tanzania Wildlife and Nature

ray@raymondbarlow.com
Nikon D850 ,Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/500s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso1600