Instagram - Natural History Photography

philcolla

Second breakfast? Always.

Second breakfast? Always.

Cathedral Lakes late afternoon yesterday, this was

Cathedral Lakes late afternoon yesterday, this was my spot to rest my legs and cook my freeze dried dinner (gross) before hiking back to my car at dusk. I did not see a single person on my return hike, crazy empty for Yosemite.

New blog post: “So you want to dive with Steller

New blog post: “So you want to dive with Steller Sea Lions? This is what you have to look forward To” see link in bio. #canada #britishcolumbia #underwaterphotograpy #sealion

Labyrinthine sandstone in Antelope Canyon, from my

Labyrinthine sandstone in Antelope Canyon, from my trip there in December. There were no light beams as those are only in summer, but it's still a fun place to visit.

Middle Island, Coronados, Baja California, late fa

Middle Island, Coronados, Baja California, late fall.

Young California sea lions playing underwater, Cor

Young California sea lions playing underwater, Coronado Islands, Baja California, Mexico

Late light on the Yosemite high country

Late light on the Yosemite high country

Comet over La Costa, viewed from Carlsbad

Comet over La Costa, viewed from Carlsbad

El Capitan morning.

El Capitan morning.

I lined up the comet over Tracy's house at Bass La

I lined up the comet over Tracy's house at Bass Lake. Luckily it came out nicely, the bright moon helped. I'll try again with a better camera the next time it lines up like this in 6800 years. Bass Lake, California #comet #neowise

Giant black sea bass in kelp. I spent several dive

Giant black sea bass in kelp. I spent several dives with a courting aggregation of giant sea bass a few years ago. The most I could get in any one photo was 6 but there were at least a dozen animals that I could identify later looking at all the photos. Often I was surrounded by them, sometimes being nudged on the shoulder by one or another. It was great, one of the best California diving experiences I've ever had. After this marathon 10 days of posting ocean photos and all this editing of old diving photos I'm sort of burned out on underwater photography. I'm not really a photographer, I'm a diver who happens to have a camera most of the time. It's time to stop looking at pictures and just go diving.

You are looking at greatest muscles in the animal

You are looking at greatest muscles in the animal kingdom. Here is a shot of a fin whale showing how seriously massive is its penducle and caudal stem. This group of muscles is, among the great whales, the most powerful musculature in the animal kingdom. Did you see how I said great twice? And also that I was redundant about it, multiple times? That’s called SEO. I posted a few other views courtesy of a few other cooperative whales on my website: https://www.oceanlight.com/log/the-greatest-muscles-in-the-animal-kingdom.html

Longbill hawkfish in black coral, Sea of Cortez. M

Longbill hawkfish in black coral, Sea of Cortez. Mike and Sherry took us to Mike's Reef, a secret spot north of La Paz with spectacularly lush life-covered reefs, a consequence of the large tidal currents to pass over the area twice a day. It's a difficult spot to anchor but Mike dialed it in and dropped us on the reef close to slack. Leonardo had shown me some of his beautiful hawkfish photos in black coral earlier in the day that inspired me to give it a shot, knowing I would have to forego guaranteed beautiful wide reefscape images in exchange for a single macro photo. I found a perfect patch of black coral with several hawkfish, and went about getting my photos. Thanks Mike, Sherry and Leo!!

West Maui mountains and the Olowalu gap, with a fe

West Maui mountains and the Olowalu gap, with a few snorkel boats enjoying a nice day on Turtle Reef.

Wedge dawn. A late summer swell from the south had

Wedge dawn. A late summer swell from the south had me out at the Wedge before sunrise. Noone else was in the water and there was no wind so the waves were clean and empty. I got some shots with the rising sun just peaking over Corona del Mar.

A big ocean sunfish swims alongside my friend Mike

A big ocean sunfish swims alongside my friend Mike Johnson. This was one of the biggest molas I ever saw, and he was referencing to our boat since there was no kelp paddy around. The big ones are often tolerant of people, and this one let us photograph him from all angles. You can see a few copepods on the bottom of the mola, forward of the lower fin. Molas are often riddled with parasites, and occasionally would be so desperate they would approach and allow a diver to pluck the copepods off of them. Super gross!! and yet one had to do it. There's nothing as icky as seeing a mola shiver with relief when you pull the long slimy copepod out of it. Then you have a problem -- what to do with the copepod you are holding in your hand? Yuck a doo, get it away from me lest it decide I am its next host! If you are wondering what that camera is that Mike's holding, its a Nikonos with a special add-on dome port, rendering a wider view than the usual 15mm lens most Nikonos users used.

Oh great gravid fish, Master of the ocean blue I d

Oh great gravid fish,
Master of the ocean blue
I do not taste good.
- a #haiku

Petit requin tigre au crépuscule. Because photos

Petit requin tigre au crépuscule. Because photos are better with French captions.

I love how kelp bends and sways and lets the turbu

I love how kelp bends and sways and lets the turbulence pass, and remains standing afterward once the ocean has grown calm again. Wishing Peace to everyone!

Wishing PEACE to all my friends out there.

Wishing PEACE to all my friends out there.

A small part of a 16-whale active group. Maui, Haw

A small part of a 16-whale active group. Maui, Hawaii.

Blue whale portrait in Welt der Wunder this month,

Blue whale portrait in Welt der Wunder this month, photographed near Torrey Pines California

Carlsbad coast at sunset #Carlsbad #sandiego

Carlsbad coast at sunset #Carlsbad #sandiego

My dive friend Mike takes some of the best Steller

My dive friend Mike takes some of the best Steller sea lion photos in the world. This is how he does it. Note that he has two sea lions on his left strobe, two more on his right strobe including one biting and one grasping it with hind flippers, and one or two more sea lions that are holding down his legs and fins. No problem. #sealions #pinnipeds #canada #vancouverisland #hornbyisland #underwaterphotography

Inquisitive southern right whale, Peninsula Valdes

Inquisitive southern right whale, Peninsula Valdes, Argentina #cetacean #argentina #patagonia #whale #underwaterphotography

The sea lions were very finterested this morning #

The sea lions were very finterested this morning #Canada #britishcolumbia #vancouverisland #marinemammals #pinniped

Outnumbered #canada #britishcolumbia #vancouverisl

Outnumbered #canada #britishcolumbia #vancouverisland #pinniped #marinemammals

Someone say Free Beer? #canada #vancouverisland #b

Someone say Free Beer? #canada #vancouverisland #britishcolumbia #underwaterphotography #pinniped #marinemammals

Stellar sea lions #canada #britishcolumbia #underw

Stellar sea lions #canada #britishcolumbia #underwaterphotography #pinniped #sealion #vancouverisland

Bald eagle, Alaska

Bald eagle, Alaska

Les Invalides with its distinctive gold leaf-cover

Les Invalides with its distinctive gold leaf-covered dome on a beautiful fall day. Tracy and I were walking around Paris when I took this photo a few years ago. If you like France go buy the calendar but be warned it is mostly scenes outside of Paris. #france #natgeo #tourist

Heading out to Upper Antelope to photograph one mo

Heading out to Upper Antelope to photograph one more time, the final day of "photo tours" there is tomorrow and we have a spot in the last tour of the day. The end of an era thanks to Instagram. I haven't done the slots in years. Since it is December there are no natural light beams occurring. However, we obtained a very special permit that allows us to place an assistant atop the slot and shine big laser beams down through the canyon. It's going to be awesome. OK, that last part about the lasers was a lie. Slots or bust!

Southern right whale mother and calf, Peninsula Va

Southern right whale mother and calf, Peninsula Valdes, Argentina #whale #argentina #puertopiramides #cetacean #aerial

Young sea lions, Coronados. #islascoronados #under

Young sea lions, Coronados. #islascoronados #underwaterphotography #pinniped #baja #mexico #pacificocean #bajacalifornia #sandiego

Sea lion bait from Sunday. I set the camera down a

Sea lion bait from Sunday. I set the camera down and played with some smooth rocks for a while before making a little pile of them in front of me. The entire time a group of pups gathered over me to watch. As expected, as soon as I backed away from the rock pile the boldest pup came down and started picking up the rocks and tossing them around. I have engaged sea lion pups this way with great success at Cousins in Galapagos, Webster Point at Santa Barbara Island, and Los Islotes since those places have lots of smooth rocks and the sea lions naturally play with them anyway. The adults don't give a shit but I swear its like crack for the pups. #islascoronados #underwaterphotography #pinniped #baja #mexico #pacificocean

George: "Is there a pinkish hue?" Jerry: "A pinkis

George: "Is there a pinkish hue?"
Jerry: "A pinkish hue?"
George: "Yes, a rosy glow."
Jerry: "There's a hue."
Indeed, the Coronado Islands have a faint rosy glow, a bit of a pinkish hue. A clear day overlooking North Island with Middle and South Islands in the distance and Rosarito on the far horizon. — at Islas Coronado (Baja California)

Southern right whale, sunset, Peninsula Valdes, Ar

Southern right whale, sunset, Peninsula Valdes, Argentina #argentina #peninsulavaldes #puertopiramides #whale #cetacean

Courting group of southern right whales, Peninsula

Courting group of southern right whales, Peninsula Valdes, Argentina #argentina #peninsulavaldes #puertopiramides #whale #cetacean #aerial

Weathered out the past couple days so we have tour

Weathered out the past couple days so we have toured Peninsula Valdes. Penguins are just arriving this week. #argentina #peninsulavaldes #penguin

Load More... Follow on Instagram