Wonderful series Brant !
Pierre
My Flickr gallery
I had a great photo trip to the Pantanal of Brazil a couple weeks ago, and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking to see jaguars and other exotic species. The jaguars are the main attraction for sure, but you'll also come across giant river otters, caiman, capybaras, tapir, and a huge assortment of birds. The best time to go is the dry season (June - October) when the water level is down and the animals congregate along the river banks. From Sao Paulo, you fly 2-1/2 hours northwest to Cuiaba, and then it's a day-long drive into Parque Estadual Encontro das Aguas ("Meeting of the Waters State Park"). Accommodations is in a "Flotel", a surprisingly nice hotel (with a/c!) built on a barge and anchored to the shore. Viewing is by motorboat, so you spend the entire time without setting foot on land. The weather is ridiculously hot, over 100 F with a healthy dose of humidity. It was a bit challenging for this cold-blooded Canadian! But when a cat comes out, you forget all about that. I traveled with a fantastic guide, which helped a lot. Visit https://untamed-expeditions.com/ for more info and let me know if you have any questions. Meanwhile here is a small selection from the trip:
Female Jaguar
Amazon Kingfisher
Giant River Otter
Male Jaguar
Brazilian Tapir
Black Skimmer
For photo gear, I brought my 500 f/4 and 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 on full-frame bodies. I used polarizers on both lenses in the middle of the day when the sun was the most harsh (it was bright sun the whole time --- no clouds!). I brought the 24-70 but never used it. The 1.4 TC came in handy just a couple of times on the 500. I used a monopod in the boat, or hand-held for short bursts.
Thanks for viewing!
Jonathan Huyer
www.huyerperspectives.com
wow thanks for sharing. My wife is from Brazil and perhaps in the future....
If you see me with a wrench, call 911
I love the male Jaguar picture with the perfect pose and just a ray of light to provide the contrast with the dark background. Impressive shot !
Pierre
My Flickr gallery
Thanks everyone --- and yes this is a great thread to follow.
It was hard to go wrong in the Pantanal --- I was expecting some nice variety but was really pleasantly surprised by just how productive an area it is. If you go, bring lots of cards and a couple extra hard drives!
Jonathan Huyer
www.huyerperspectives.com