Mary’s Favorites
Camo Lion
Mid-morning in Botswana. The air is fresh and we had found two lionesses lounging in the sunlight after a night of hunting. We sat, watched and studied these cats for at least forty-five minutes without even realizing that literally, right next to us, camouflaged by the yellowed brush was this scarred, spectacular male king of beast just chilling. And we chilled with him. A definite top ten moment!
Fire on the Horizon
I simply cannot even begin to do this story justice in such a short paragraph but hopefully the photograph will spark your imagination as well. My husband and I were on a mokoro (canoe) tour with a guide who expertly propels the craft down the watery channels of the Okavanga Delta by standing in the stern and using a pole to propel us. Our tour got abruptly cut short because of an electrical storm. The Okvanga had had a dry summer and one bolt of lightning created a huge wildfire that rapidly spread across the island. This distressed Red Lechwe was standing on the grassy airport runway as the fire roared in the background. I ran back to the jeep to get my camera and captured this beautiful/horrible moment. I’ll never forget the striking image of this animal. The next day we had to evacuate the camp as the wildfire still raged.
Salmon For Dinner
There are no roads leading into the third largest National Park in the States so the best way to get to Lake Clark is by hydroplane. How cool is that? The plane lands on the lake, you’re taxied over to an embankment for a transfer into a motorboat, and the journey begins to take in all the sights and sounds of this beautiful landscape and wildlife, like bears. We were about twenty-five yards from shore when this massive brown bear emerged from the dense under brush looking for dinner. With the boat rocking on the water I knew I had to get a really fast shutter speed to get a crystal clear shot. My favorite detail is the water dripping from the salmon and my husbands loves the bears’ vicious, emotionless eyes. I can’t wait to go do this again. Maybe next time in waders?
Guzzling Lion
So much magic happens early in the morning! Norm and I had the choice to sleep in or we could hit the ground running before sunrise. It was our last morning in Savute and every day on safari is unique. But we never imagined getting so close to two male lions. They never seemed fazed at all that we were just literally twenty yards from them at all times. We waited and we watched in awe as one mighty male sauntered over to a pond for his morning drink.
Kauai Sunset
I think this will go down in history as the most fun and the most spontaneous shot! Norm and I were headed to Hanapepe Art Night to check out the local artists in that quaint town when he looked over and said, “hey let's take a quick detour and check out the sunset at Salt Pond Beach. Always up for a little spontaneity we headed over and saw this sunset. He shouted to me, “run, I’ll catch up!” I grabbed my camera and ran down the beach to capture this dramatic scene. Two minutes later it was gone but we didn’t miss this glorious moment.
Impala Sunrise
I simply cannot even begin to do this story justice in such a short paragraph but hopefully the photograph will spark your imagination as well. My husband and I were on a mokoro (canoe) tour with a guide who expertly propels the craft down the watery channels of the Okavanga Delta by standing in the stern and using a pole to propel us. Our tour got abruptly cut short because of an electrical storm. The Okvanga had had a dry summer and one bolt of lightning created a huge wildfire that rapidly spread across the island. This distressed Red Lechwe was standing on the grassy airport runway as the fire roared in the background. I ran back to the jeep to get my camera and captured this beautiful/horrible moment. I’ll never forget the striking image of this animal. The next day we had to evacuate the camp as the wildfire still raged.
Passing Ship
This shot literally happened in a split second. We were on a ferry boat on Lake Argentina photographing the Perito Moreno Glacier when my husband, aka, “eagle eyes” shouted, “Mary, quick, look.” I turned, took a second to focus on what was happening and was able to snap off about four to five frames before the ships had passed the iceberg. Everything lined up perfectly, from the ship we were on, to this small boat passing in front of an iceberg. My favorite details is the “dragon eye” peering from underneath the cloud.
Scottish Ruins
The ruins of Castle Sinclair Girnigoe sits on the far NE coast of Scotland. My husband and I stumbled on this totally by accident, so maybe that’s why this made my top ten list. How do you just stumble on ruins? We were actually on our way somewhere else when we spotted the castles remains and stopped at a gas station for directions. They gave us a hand-drawn map to Castle Sinclair Girnigoe. The road to the castle could only take us so far by car, until it eventually dwindled into a gravel path that could only be covered on foot. The hike was such a distance that my husband, who has a bad right leg, decided to wait in the car. I threw my backpack and tripod over my shoulder and took off. Once I got there and couldn’t believe what was before me and how I wished Norm was by my side rummaging through the ruins. But my gift of love was to document this castle with pictures for him.
Wild Horses
An oldie but a goodie. A memory from a very off the beaten path destination that will never fade. My husband, spotted these wild Andalusian horses just hanging out on the Atlantic Coast. We quickly and quietly got out of the vehicle and crept closer and closer and the horses never moved. I’ve had many friends and family put this fine art piece in their homes and it always gives off a vibe of peace and strength.
Bird on a Branch
We were in a flat bottom fishing boat touring the Rio Negro River when we looked up and saw this beautiful green-tailed Jacamar.