Capturing Kings Canyon's Lakes and Rivers

While Kings Canyon National Park is renowned for its towering waterfalls and ancient sequoias, its concealed treasures are the pristine rivers and serene lakes that adorn its landscapes. The South Fork Kings River, a testament to nature's relentless power, roars through the landscape, offering both adventure and tranquility along its path. Mist Falls Lake, Crystal Lake, Jade Lake, and Sapphire Lake, each with its own distinct character, offer solace in the serenity of their shores. In this corner of Sierra Nevada, nature offers an ever-changing canvas of these liquid gems, where the beauty of the park flows through every ripple and current.

Chasing Cascades at Kings Canyon

In the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California lies Kings Canyon National Park, home to a captivating array of waterfalls. These natural wonders, much like the ancient sequoias in neighboring Sequoia National Park, possess a unique charm and grace. We visited the Roaring River Falls, with its small pool hiding among the cliffs of the valley, and Grizzly Falls, which tumbles more delicately over rocky precipices covering a greater height. I unfortunately did not manage any good photos of the Mist Falls because, as the name suggests, my lens was completely sprayed by them and the trail did not afford a large enough distance for a dry picture!

Balboa Park's Urban Wildlife

In San Diego, you don’t need to go too far to encounter wildlife. In fact, Balboa Park - a popular tourist spot featuring an assortment of local museums, gardens, and eateries - is an excellent place to spot some urban dwellers such as black phoebes, squirrels, and Eastern bluebirds. Here are some of my favourite images from an afternoon spent walking around the park and appreciating the urban wildlife that lives in this beautiful corner of Southern California.

Kiwi Birdlife Park

I always like to visit zoos and wildlife centres when I travel. Whilst visiting Queenstown, I stopped by Kiwi Birdlife Park to photograph New Zealand’s charismatic endemic bird species. This is a small park with a good range of species, from kākāriki (New Zealand parakeets) to pāteke (brown teal). I thoroughly enjoyed their educational presentation on conservation and their honey tasting session. Definitely worth a visit if you plan on stopping by Queenstown sometime soon!

Lagoons at Eduardo Avaroa National Park

Besides the stunning wildlife, the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve is dotted with many spectacular lagoons. Following on from Laguna Hedionda, we made our way through several more, such as Laguna Charcota and Laguna Verde. Most lagoons provide the opportunity to spot flamingoes, as well as other local wildlife.

Sunrise with Flamingoes

During our trip through Bolivia we stayed at a small hotel on the edge of Laguna Hedionda, home to hundreds of wild flamingoes. We had planned to photograph the sunrise at this location but upon our arrival it seemed like that wasn’t going to happen: there was torrential rain and a thick cloud cover over the mountains. Luckily for us, the cloud cover brought fresh snow onto the mountains and then swiftly disappeared by the next morning. It was an extremely cold shoot at 5am, but definitely worth it!

Keep scrolling for some beautifully pink-tinted skies and similarly pink flamingoes.

Siloli Desert Highlights

The Siloli Desert is a wonderfully dramatic landscape. It seemed almost surreal to walk through its vast planes and occasionally encounter a completely new and colourful scenery. One of my favourite spots was the Sol de la Mañana Geyser, which is a magical sight from both the land and the air.

Here are some of my photos, featuring the Salvador Dalí Desert, the geyser, and the Montaña de Siete Colores (seven-coloured mountain).

Pukaha Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre

The Pukaha Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre is located in the region of Wairarapa. It houses a wide range of native New Zealand birds, including the rare kokako and takahe. It was a lovely afternoon stop on a cloudy day.

Here are some images of the New Zealand fauna which can be seen at the sanctuary.