Land Out of Time

May 26, 2021 by Paige Baker

In 1988, I visited Zion National Park in southern Utah. Ever since then, I have dreamed of going back. As soon as I was fully vaccinated, I knew that I wanted to go to Utah—this time to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.

It was an amazing trip. I had forgotten how it felt to be outdoors, breathing fresh air and feeling the wind in my hair. I had forgotten how FREE I feel when it’s just me and my camera. I had also forgotten that my 10 lb. COVID-inspired weight gain would make it that much harder to haul my gear over boulders and deep desert sand…but it was all worth it in the end.

Much of the time I was shooting in very harsh light, so few of these photos are ideal. But the landscape is so beautiful—and so unbelievably ancient and awe-inspiring—that it seems silly to worry about things I couldn’t control. The next time I go, I’ll plan to stay much longer and shoot all my favorite spots in both early morning and later afternoon light.

I haven’t had time to go through all 1,800 shots yet, but below are a few of my favorites. Click to see more as I add them.

Broken Arch, Twilight—Arches National Park ©A. Paige Baker, 2021 — Broken Arch, Twilight—Arches National Park
*©A. Paige Baker, 2021*

La Sal Mountains, Arches National Park ©A. Paige Baker, 2021 — La Sal Mountains, Arches National Park
*©A. Paige Baker, 2021*

Landscape Arch, Arches National Part ©A. Paige Baker, 2021 — Landscape Arch, Arches National Part
*©A. Paige Baker, 2021*

Sky, 3:00 a.m., Arches National Park ©A. Paige Baker, 2021 — Sky, 3:00 a.m., Arches National Park
*©A. Paige Baker, 2021*

La Sal Mountains, Windows Section, Arches National Park ©A. Paige Baker, 2021 — La Sal Mountains, Windows Section, Arches National Park
*©A. Paige Baker, 2021*

Cold Cityscapes

February 07, 2021 by Paige Baker

These photos were taken during my shoot last week at NoDa..

Bright Lights, Big City ©APaige Baker, 2021 — Bright Lights, Big City
©APaige Baker, 2021

Bargarita, Charlotte, NC ©APaige Baker, 2021 — Bargarita, Charlotte, NC
*©APaige Baker, 2021*

Any Bullshit Will Be Erased! ©APaige Baker, 2021 — Any Bullshit will be Erased!
*©APaige Baker, 2021*

Shave and a Haircut…2 bits ©APaige Baker, 2021 — Shave and a Haircut…2 bits
*©APaige Baker, 2021*

Wood and Icicles ©APaige Baker, 2021 — Wood and Icicles
*©APaige Baker, 2021*

Protagonist, Charlotte, NC ©APaige Baker, 2021 — Protagonist, Charlotte, NC
*©APaige Baker, 2021*

Beer Can Tree, Charlotte, NC ©APaige Baker, 2021 — Beer Can Tree, Charlotte, NC
*©APaige Baker, 2021*

Colors, Charlotte, NC ©APaige Baker, 2021 — Colors, NoDa, Charlotte, NC
*©APaige Baker, 2021*

Funny Face, Charlotte, NC ©APaige Baker, 2021 — Funny Face, NoDa, Charlotte, NC
*©APaige Baker, 2021*

Warmth, Charlotte, NC ©APaige Baker, 2021 — Warmth, NoDa, Charlotte, NC
*©APaige Baker, 2021*

When the Lights Go Down in the City…. ©APaige Baker, 2021 — When the Lights Go Down in the City….
*©APaige Baker, 2021*

The Watcher ©APaige Baker, 2021 — The Watcher
*©APaige Baker, 2021*

Lonely Lines ©APaige Baker, 2021 — Lonely Lines
*©APaige Baker, 2021*

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables...

January 29, 2021 by Paige Baker

Yesterday, I went on the first organized photo shoot I’ve done in nearly a year. A small group from my camera club went down to NoDa, which is the “arts district” in Charlotte, to do some street photography. (NoDa is short for “North Davidson,” the major street that runs through the neighborhood.) And yes, we were appropriately masked and physically distanced.

It was almost eerie how empty it was. The good news is that most people seem to be observing COVID rules and not frequenting bars and restaurants (at least on a Thursday evening in January). But there were a number of businesses with signs that announced they had closed permanently. It felt like a ghost town….

All photos ©A. Paige Baker, 2021

In the Garden...

March 01, 2020 by Paige Baker

I had a lovely time today shooting with my friend Mark and our respective dogs, Doodle (who is NOT a “doodle,” but a gorgeous lady of diverse heritage) and Gatsby (who IS a “doodle”). We spent the afternoon in Mark’s gorgeous garden photographing his amazing outdoor art. The dogs spent the afternoon chasing each other and barking at every little sound. (TBH, that was mostly Gatsby.)

MEET THE GANG

Miss Doodle ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — Miss Doodle
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

For the record, I didn’t do ANYTHING to the color in this photo…

The GRATE Gatsby ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — The GRATE Gatsby
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

Our charming host ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — Our charming host
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

There’s a toy for everyone… ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — There’s a toy for everyone…
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

Gatsby thanks our host ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — Gatsby thanks our host
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

MY FAVORITE PHOTOS

Mark actually forged this gate himself.

And finally just a couple of shots of my sweet boy and his lovely new “fren”…

Gatsby enjoying the art…. ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — Gatsby enjoying the art….
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

AIn’t I hansum?! ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — AIn’t I hansum?!
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

I need a NAP! ©A Paige Baker. 2020 — I need a NAP!
*©A Paige Baker. 2020*

"Common Ground" at Davidson College

February 29, 2020 by Paige Baker

The town of Davidson, North Carolina, has become an open-air museum of sorts. Between the campus art at Davidson College and the public arts project supported by the town itself, there are many opportunities to enjoy beautiful and thought-provoking works merely by walking around the area.

The latest addition to the “museum” is a wonderful sculpture, “Common Ground,” by North Carolina environmental artist Patrick Dougherty, who is known all over the world for his “stick art.” The sculpture was dedicated on February 20, 2020.

I already loved Dougherty’s work before I knew his name—he created the piece, “Out of the Box,” which graces the wall in Iris, the restaurant in the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh.

If you are interested, there is a documentary about Dougherty called Bending Sticks. (Trailer)

Dougherty worked with Davidson College students to create the piece, which will remain at the college until 2022.

I visited the sculpture late today as the sun was beginning to set. It is MASSIVE, with “rooms” and tunnels and “windows.” You really have to see and walk through/around it in person to fully appreciate the beauty and artistry of it. If you are in the area, don’t miss it!

[NOTE: As always, the artist retains all rights to his work. I post these photos merely to encourage people to come out and enjoy the piece and to educate themselves about Mr. Dougherty’s stunning body of work.]

Common Ground by Patrick Dougherty Photo by A Paige Baker, 2020 — *Common Ground* by Patrick Dougherty
*Photo by A Paige Baker, 2020*

Little Sugar Creek Greenway—Day 2

February 23, 2020 by Paige Baker

If you haven’t already seen Little Sugar Creek Greenway—Day 1, I recommend that you do that first….

So today I turned up at the right place and time. ;-)

This part of the Little Sugar Creek Greenway was VERY different from the part I visited yesterday. It was much less busy, more wooded, and…grittier. This section is surrounded by neighborhoods that have seen better days—and the entrance into the greenway, while meant to keep cars out of it, sends a message very different from the beautiful fountains and plazas on the section I visited yesterday. (I didn’t photograph it, but just on the other side of this barrier was a sign that encouraged visitors to be sure they were walking with another person…)

Here there be dragons ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — Here there be dragons
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

On our way into the greenway, we passed this poor creature. The caption on the photo reflects the fact that opossums are voracious eaters of ticks. You know—the ones that cause Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and a host of other vector-borne diseases. Researchers say that one opposum can eat 5,000 ticks in a season. Sadly, these misunderstood and often-maligned creatures generally live only 1-2 years.

And 5,000 ticks rejoiced… ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — And 5,000 ticks rejoiced…
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

The underside of this bridge was much more interesting than the topside….

The only things keeping you out of the creek… ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — The only things keeping you out of the creek…
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

There were many concrete structures with these metal fixtures on them. I have no idea what they do….

I don’t want to give the impression that the greenway was somehow devoid of beauty. You can find that anywhere, if you look for it. I am always drawn to lichen….

Nature’s lace 1 ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — Nature’s lace 1
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

Nature’s lace 2 ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — Nature’s lace 2
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

In fact, my favorite subject turned out to be the glass conductors on the huge power-line towers that loom over this section of the greenway. As I was importing these photos into Lightroom, I was struck by how the conductors, wires, and metal girders looked like modern sculptures. So I took some liberties with the post-processing to try to show you just how beautiful these utilitarian objects can be.

Un…. ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — Un….
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

Deux… ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — Deux…
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

Trois…. ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — Trois….
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

A Different View of the City

From this part of the greenway, we were able to watch the sun set behind downtown. The sky was pretty blown out, but I got this one photo of the Bank of America and Hearst buildings that I liked:

Apropos of nothing, the Hearst building always makes me think of an Etruscan helmet….

British Museum / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

A different view of The Neon City….

Downtown Charlotte at dusk ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — Downtown Charlotte at dusk
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

Little Sugar Creek Greenway—Day 1

February 22, 2020 by Paige Baker

Jim Ogden, my friend from the Charlotte Photography Group, had planned a meetup to go shooting at the Little Sugar Creek Greenway. The greenway is a work-in-progress; when it’s completed, it will include 19 miles of trails which will run through urban Charlotte to the South Carolina state line.. Currently, only about 10 miles have been completed, and the pieces are not yet joined together.

I was very much looking forward to this shoot, and I had texted Jim to ask if it would be okay to bring my dog, Gatsby, along? He texted back and said this meetup was PERFECT for dogs.

So Gatsby and I loaded up and went downtown to meet the group. I was running late—as usual—so I thought I would just park south of where we were supposed to meet, and walk north until I met up with the gang.

The only problem is that the meetup was planned for TOMORROW, Sunday, February 23rd. I figured this out after I’d been walking around shooting for a couple of hours and finally thought to check the MeetUp app we use to coordinate. Oops!

The good news is that Gatsby and I had a wonderful time, and I learned that he is a joy to take on a shoot like this! I also got some wonderful pics—and I get to go back tomorrow and shoot with the group again. Win-Win!

The GRATE Gatsby—best photographer’s helper ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — The GRATE Gatsby—best photographer’s helper
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

Staircase art ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — Staircase art
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

My favorite photo of the day….

Waterdance ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — Waterdance
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

Gustav Klimt was here… ©️APaige Baker, 2020 — Gustav Klimt was here…
*©️APaige Baker, 2020*

If the good Lord’s willing and the creek don’t rise… ©️APaige Baker, 2020 — If the good Lord’s willing and the creek don’t rise…
*©️APaige Baker, 2020*

The Neon City

As the sun began to set, Gatsby and I drove downtown to Romare Bearden Park. I wanted to try and capture some of the beauty of the buildings in downtown Charlotte as they began to light up.

( Side note: Romare Bearden, who died in 1988, is considered to be one of the most important artists of the 20th century.. The African American painter and collage artist was born in Charlotte in 1911. His family left the city when he was an infant, but Charlotte still wants to claim him….)

Sculpture, Romare Bearden Park ©️APaige Baker, 2020 — Sculpture, Romare Bearden Park
*©️APaige Baker, 2020*

Duke Energy building ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — Duke Energy building
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

Bank of America building ©A Paige Baker, 2020 — Bank of America building
*©A Paige Baker, 2020*

40-Acre Rock

February 08, 2020 by Paige Baker

On February 8, 2020, Jim Ogden led members of the Carolina Photography Group on a memorable shoot to capture the sunrise on 40-Acre Rock in Lancaster County, SC. The sun rose in a clear sky just after 7:00 a.m.—but by the time we left the area (around 1:30 p.m.) it was snowing!

Daybreak on 40-Acre Rock ©️APaige Baker, 2020 — Daybreak on 40-Acre Rock
*©️APaige Baker, 2020*

Elf orpine growing in the Rock’s ephemeral pools ©️APaige Baker, 2020 — Elf orpine growing in the Rock’s ephemeral pools
*©️APaige Baker, 2020*

Ephemeral pools at sunrise ©️APaige Baker, 2020 — Ephemeral pools at sunrise
*©️APaige Baker, 2020*

Life finds a way… ©️APaige Baker, 2020 — Life finds a way…
*©️APaige Baker, 2020*

Sunrise ©️APaige Baker, 2020 — Sunrise
*©️APaige Baker, 2020*

The Psychedelic Bridge to Nowhere ©️APaige Baker, 2020 — The Psychedelic Bridge to Nowhere
*©️APaige Baker, 2020*

The Cold, Hard City

January 25, 2020 by Paige Baker

On my latest visit to New York, it was bitterly cold, and overcast for much of the time I was there. The day it snowed, it was so hazy that almost every shot I took looked as if it had been shot in grainy black and white, even when it wasn’t.

So I decided I would share my “New York State of Mind” with you in that style. New York has so many different personalities—it is colorful and energetic most of the time, but it also lends itself to this kind of “gritty” portrayal that I love. I hope you enjoy it too.

Hudson River view from the terrace ©APaige Baker, 2020 — Hudson River view from the terrace
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

77th and Broadway ©APaige Baker, 2020 — 77th and Broadway
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

I was privileged to see a production of “Jagged Little Pill” at the Broadhurst Theater. The photos of the performers were taken during the encore.

Broadhurst Theater—After the show ©APaige Baker, 2020 — Broadhurst Theater—After the show
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

Broadhurst Theater—Lights, Camera, Action ©APaige Baker, 2020 — Broadhurst Theater—Lights, Camera, Action
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

Broadhurst Theater chandelier ©APaige Baker, 2020 — Broadhurst Theater chandelier
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

Broadhurst Theater—Jagged Little Pill cast—Kei Tsuruharatani and Yana Perrault ©APaige Baker, 2020 — Broadhurst Theater—Jagged Little Pill cast—Kei Tsuruharatani and Yana Perrault
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

Broadhurst Theater—Jagged Little Pill cast—Ebony Williams ©APaige Baker, 2020 — Broadhurst Theater—Jagged Little Pill cast—Ebony Williams
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

Broadhurst Theater—Jagged Little Pill cast—Celia Rose Gooding ©APaige Baker, 2020 — Broadhurst Theater—Jagged Little Pill cast—Celia Rose Gooding
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

Paramount Building, Manhattan ©APaige Baker, 2020 — Paramount Building, Manhattan
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

Abstract, Manhattan ©APaige Baker, 2020 — Abstract, Manhattan
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

Cowgirl restaurant—Carousel horse ©APaige Baker, 2020 — Cowgirl restaurant—Carousel horse
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

The Icy Mile ©APaige Baker, 2020 — The Icy Mile
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

Swirls everywhere…. ©APaige Baker, 2020 — Swirls everywhere….
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

White-out at Belvedere Castle—Central Park ©APaige Baker, 2020 — White-out at Belvedere Castle—Central Park
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

Turtle Pond, Central Park ©APaige Baker, 2020 — Turtle Pond, Central Park
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

San Remo building from Central Park ©APaige Baker, 2020 — San Remo building from Central Park
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

King Jagiełło Monument, Central Park ©APaige Baker, 2020 — King Jagiełło Monument, Central Park
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

Light in the storm—Central Park ©APaige Baker, 2020 — Light in the storm—Central Park
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

Chelsea architecture ©APaige Baker, 2020 — Chelsea architecture
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

Stonework, Upper West Side, NYC ©APaige Baker, 2020 — Stonework, Upper West Side, NYC
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

79th Street Boat Basin, Hudson River ©APaige Baker, 2020 — 79th Street Boat Basin, Hudson River
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

Ring-Billed Gulls, 79th Street Boat Basin, Hudson River ©APaige Baker, 2020 — Ring-Billed Gulls, 79th Street Boat Basin, Hudson River
*©APaige Baker, 2020*

September 12: Jaguars Everywhere!

September 12, 2019 by Paige Baker

This was an exceptionally good jaguar day! We saw Ãgue, The Brothers, and a new jaguar named Medrosa, who was instantly recognizable because her eyes are a dark amber color. (I am terrible at figuring out who is who, except for The Brothers. Xando’s crossed eyes give him away every time, bless him…)

But the day started out with horses—right outside my cabin. (It looks very light in this photo, but it was only 5:40 a.m.)

This fellow seemed annoyed that I didn’t have any treats. (You can tell he’s not happy because his ears are down and back.) Since this was the first time I’d seen horses at Porto Jofre, I had to apologize to him and promise I’d do better next time.

Equine visitor, Hotel Pantanal Norte ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Equine visitor, Hotel Pantanal Norte
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

The sunrise over the river as we left the dock was spectacular. The clouds were stunning.

Sunrise, Cuiaba River ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Sunrise, Cuiaba River
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

We found several birds while we were hunting for jaguars. This Jabiru stork caught my eye because it looked so much like an insect:

Jabiru Stork ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Jabiru Stork
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Capped Herons are really lovely birds….

Capped Heron ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Capped Heron
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Our first jaguar “find” of the day was Ãgue. She may be young, but she is already a veteran entertainer and model. Click the arrows to go through the gallery of her photos. Be sure to notice the one where she is sharpening her claws.

All images ©A Paige Baker, 2019

Before we found The Brothers, we ran across these Howler monkeys. The males are born blonde, but turn black with age. The females are born blonde and stay that way.

Male Black Howler ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Male Black Howler
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Female Black Howler with Infant ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Female Black Howler with Infant
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

The Brothers gave us the best show of all. I can’t stress enough how unbelievably rare it is to see two full-grown, male jaguars hunting, swimming, playing, and sleeping together. They were really playful with each other this day—especially toward the end, when Borro found a stick he wanted to play with and Xando decided he wanted to play with it too!

The Brothers prepare to go swimming… ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — The Brothers prepare to go swimming…
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

Xando “cat-paddling” ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — Xando “cat-paddling”
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

I’ve got your back…. ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — I’ve got your back….
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

Borro. ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — Borro.
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

Xando shakes it off ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — Xando shakes it off
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

Whole lot of shakin' goin' on... ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Whole lot of shakin' goin' on...
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

He’s got a ticket to ride…. ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — He’s got a ticket to ride….
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Humans are not the only ones who duck their brothers… ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — Humans are not the only ones who duck their brothers…
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

I cant beleev he jus did that… ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — I cant beleev he jus did that…
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

Cut it out, Xando—the hoomans ar STARING! ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — Cut it out, Xando—the hoomans ar STARING!
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

Xando: Look, Borro! I haz a stik!!! ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — Xando: Look, Borro! I haz a stik!!!
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

Borro: I too enjoyz a stik!! Yu shud share!! ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — Borro: I too enjoyz a stik!! Yu shud share!!
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

Xando: Get ur own stik—this iz MINE! ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — Xando: Get ur own stik—this iz MINE!
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

Our final jaguar sighting of the day was Medrosa—the unusual amber-eyed beauty:

Medrosa ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Medrosa
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

We also ran across this interesting Smooth-Billed Ani. The description in my bird book says that it looks “disheveled.” The book has a point:

Smooth-billed Ani ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Smooth-billed Ani
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Cocoi heron ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Cocoi heron
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

I’ll admit that I never get tired of the Cocoi herons. This one made me think of a pterodactyl…

I also had an opportunity to photograph some of the innumerable trees that line the banks of the river. In the dry season (which is now), the water recedes so much that you can see the root systems. Apparently, it is not uncommon for trees to fall into the river because the exposed roots can no longer support the heavy tops. If you look near the top of the photograph, you will notice a distinct line between the dark lower part of the tree itself and the brighter branches. That is the water line during the rainy season. It’s a good 8-10 feet between that line and the river level now.

Roots ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Roots
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

And another gorgeous sunset over the river….

Sunset, Cuiabá River ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — Sunset, Cuiabá River
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

September 11: The Shots Everyone Wants

September 11, 2019 by Paige Baker

What most people seem to want is shots of a jaguar killing something or mating—neither of which I was privileged to see on this trip.

I don’t feel badly about this. It would be my luck the jaguar would have killed a baby capybara, and that is NOT something I wanted to witness. And from what I’ve been told, jaguar mating is pretty violent. The male has 130 barbs on his penis, so once he enters the female, he’s “locked in” until he finishes his business—and it hurts her. But female jaguars will mate with multiple males while they are in estrus, so I guess even cats experience the triumph of hope over experience….

But it seems that the next-best thing is a shot of a jaguar yawning….because that’s about all they really DO when they aren’t hunting or having sex. Like all cats everywhere, they sleep a lot—and they do some EPIC yawning. If you ever see a photo of a jaguar that looks like it’s snarling—it isn’t, I promise. The photographer has just picked a frame with peak yawnage.

(This is a GIF I made with raw footage. I was shooting at about 10 frames/second. Nothing you see here has been altered in any way. If I could have altered it, I would have gone back and made sure I got her paws in the photo!)

There is one other thing jaguars do a lot—swim.

Can’t I even take a BATH in private?! ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Can’t I even take a BATH in private?!
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Jaguar Faces

Since jaguars spend long stretches of time sitting/sleeping under trees, the other thing you do when you are photographing one for a couple of hours is to try and catch the different expressions it makes. Meet Jaju, treating us to her Imperial Gaze: “I’m looking you straight in the eye, peasant—bow to me!”

Jaju #1 ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Jaju #1
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Then you have the “I’m no longer interested in looking at you, because I just saw a bird in the tree above your head” pose….

Jaju #2 ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Jaju #2
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Then there is the “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille!” pose…..

Jaju #3 ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Jaju #3
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Followed by the “What the heck is THAT?!?!?” pose…

Jaju #4 ©️APaige Baker, 2019. — Jaju #4
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*.

Then you spend time with a different jaguar who starts out with the Imperial Gaze, but quickly drops it because she is desperate for a nap. Meet Ãgue (pronounced “Ah-gay”), a very charming young lady who gave us multiple opportunities over the course of our time in Porto Jofre to admire her.

Ãgue #1 ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Ãgue #1
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Ãgue #2—”I’m getting soooooooo sleepy…” ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Ãgue #2—”I’m getting soooooooo sleepy…”
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Ãgue #3—“This log is pretty comfy. I think I’ll just close my eyes for a few minutes…” ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — Ãgue #3—“This log is pretty comfy. I think I’ll just close my eyes for a few minutes…”
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

Ãgue #4—“ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz” ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Ãgue #4—“ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz”
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Everybody on the trip has paid to photograph jaguars, and—as you can see—they are wonderful. But there are so many other creatures to admire!

I called this Cocoi Heron “The Sentinel.” Every morning when we got to this spot on the river, there it was. (I know it was probably a different bird every day, but just go with it….)

The Sentinel ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — The Sentinel
©️APaige Baker, 2019

And here’s one of its relatives, trying to choke down a HUGE fish…

Cocoi Heron with fish ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Cocoi Heron with fish
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

After that, you can see a Bare-Faced Ibis hunting for food, a Jabiru Stork having a drink (a difficult thing to do with a bill that long!), and a pair of Jabiru Storks trying to escape the bugs that plague them everywhere they go…poor things.

Bare-Faced Ibis ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Bare-Faced Ibis
©️APaige Baker, 2019

Jabiru Stork drinking ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Jabiru Stork drinking
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

“Bug off!” Jabiru Storks ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — “Bug off!” Jabiru Storks
©️APaige Baker, 2019

The capybaras and their bird friends were in fine fettle. When I took this next photo, I thought for a moment that the egret was riding on the capybara’s back—alas, it was just an optical illusion (but a fun one).

Capybara and Snowy Egret ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Capybara and Snowy Egret
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

And then we have another capybara modeling the latest in millinery….

Capybara and Black-Capped Donacobius ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Capybara and Black-Capped Donacobius
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

The Giant River Otters were out being terrifying again. You should hear the sound of them CRUNCHING on those fish. Shiver. I think J.R.R. Tolkien must have gotten the idea for Gollum from these guys.

My PRECIOUSSSSSSSSSSS ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — My PRECIOUSSSSSSSSSSS
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

They aren’t afraid of jaguars, either. The photo below shows a pack of them harassing Ãgue. She was standing on a tree branch above them (a shot I sadly missed), and they were screeching at her—just to let her know they knew she was there and they weren’t afraid of her. Mark said the jaguars won’t mess with the otters unless they happen to catch a young one by itself.

Did I mention that these suckers grow to be six feet long?

Strength in Numbers (They look deceptively cute in this shot. Look back at the photo above, and don’t believe it.) ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Strength in Numbers (They look deceptively cute in this shot. Look back at the photo above, and don’t believe it.)
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Having the opportunity to take this shot was a highlight of the day. This is where having a knowledgeable local guide makes all the difference—no one would have noticed these bats at all if Paulo hadn’t been there to point them out. The shot is not ideal—there isn’t enough contrast between these little guys and the tree on which they were roosting—but just seeing them was a real treat!

I think these are Long-Nosed Bats ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — I think these are Long-Nosed Bats
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

We ended the day with one of The Brothers, Borro, walking along the beach in the setting sun….

Borro and the River of Light ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Borro and the River of Light
©️APaige Baker, 2019

September 10: A Little Bit of Everything

September 10, 2019 by Paige Baker

I’m a definite night owl, but I am actually enjoying getting up really early every morning and being out on the river as the sun is rising. (Plus it is the only part of the day that you know you are going to feel COLD.)

As we were ripping up the river this morning at 40 mph, I kept taking random shots to check my camera settings. That’s how I got this shot of a tapir on the bank. It’s blurry, but it’s a miracle that: 1) I saw it at all—I was the only one on the trip who saw a tapir at Porto Jofre; and 2) It’s recognizable! We were going so fast that if I had blinked I would have completely missed it. Instead I managed to fire off 2 shots—this one and one of its rear-end as it jumped into the brush. I’ll take blurry over nonexistent any day.

(Near the end of the tour, Paulo was talking about an “albino tapir” that people were telling him they had seen. When he saw this photo, he laughed and said that they were just mistaking an unusually light-colored tapir for an albino one. My photo ended up being evidence of more than one thing!)

Tapir, Cuiabá River ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Tapir, Cuiabá River
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

The Brothers were up early. Sometimes they curl up so closely together that you can’t see where one of them starts and the other one ends. Depending on where the boat was situated, they often looked like one jaguar with two heads.

Janus-headed Jaguar ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Janus-headed Jaguar
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Xando didn’t like the bugs any better than I did….

Stop bugging me! ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — Stop bugging me!
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

There are many side channels off the main riverways like the one below. They are filled with floating vegetation that offer hiding places to the birds, caimans, and capybaras. Some of the smaller channels get clogged up by floating islands of flora, but with a big enough boat motor, you can just drive right through them.

The photo below gives you an idea of how hot it was. The shimmers in the sky and the haze over the trees are evidence of high temps. Most of the days we were in Porto Jofre, the temperature was well over 100 degrees. And out there, you wear long sleeves, long pants, high socks, and a hat to protect yourself from both the sun and the bugs.

Mark told us before we even got to Brazil: “There is no whining in nature photography.” I took him at his word—and I actually think it helped me to keep focused on what was around me, rather than on how hot (or buggy) it was. I was just so grateful to be there that I’d like to think the “rule” wasn’t necessary—but it probably was. ;-)

Side note: This trip really made me appreciate the simple pleasures of a drink of fresh, cold water and a cool shower!

Side channel, Cuiabá River ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Side channel, Cuiabá River
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

The floating hyacinths were really lovely…

Floating Hyacinths, Cuiabá River ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Floating Hyacinths, Cuiabá River
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

These are the areas where you find large numbers of caimans. This was the day that we counted well over 20 of them lined up down the bank of one of these side channels. They space themselves almost equidistant to one another—and many of them lie there with their mouths hanging open. Apparently this is a way they cool themselves. (I’m not sure I want to know what that is in this guy’s mouth!)

All the better to eat you with, my dear…. ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — All the better to eat you with, my dear….
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

They are beautiful in their own way….

Caiman ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Caiman
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

The capybaras also love these byways. They were always playing peek-a-boo with us when we passed through. (You can tell the males from the females by the large oval patch above their noses. It’s a scent gland that makes them attractive to the ladies.)

Female capybara ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Female capybara
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Male capybara ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Male capybara
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

We also saw some really amazing birds, including this beautiful Swallow-Tailed Kite.

Swallow-Tailed Kite ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Swallow-Tailed Kite
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

And then there was this Black Vulture. I’m actually a pretty big fan of vultures. They are nature’s garbage disposals, and I think they are quite handsome in a weird sort of way. (They don’t smell so good, though.)

Black Vulture ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Black Vulture
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

This photo of a Southern Screamer is not very good—it’s both blurry and grainy at the same time. Sigh. But I loved the name, which sounds like a high school rock band, and I thought the “spurs” on its wings were kind of trippy….

Southern Screamer ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — Southern Screamer
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

I’m pretty sure this is Borro who decided to take a flying leap down the river bank. I just happened to be shooting him when he did it.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane…. ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — It’s a bird, it’s a plane….
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

What goes up, must come down…. ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — What goes up, must come down….
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

The capybaras weren’t the only ones who liked a game of peek-a-boo!

Jaguar on the prowl ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Jaguar on the prowl
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Setember 9: Jaguars

September 09, 2019 by Paige Baker

Days at Porto Jofre begin early. Breakfast is served at 5:00 a.m., and if you aren’t out on the dock before 5:45 a.m., you are going to miss the opportunity to go out for the morning.

I was up every morning at 4:20 a.m. I didn’t intend to miss a thing—including the stunning sunrise.

Sunrise on the Cuiabá River, Porto Jofre, Brazil ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — Sunrise on the Cuiabá River, Porto Jofre, Brazil
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

I’ll be honest—I was steeling myself against the possibility that I wouldn’t see a jaguar at all. After all, there are no guarantees in this life, and I figured my chances of photographing any jaguars at all (and certainly MORE than one jaguar) were inversely proportional to the amount of money I paid to take the tour.

I’m very happy to report that I was mistaken. On our first outing, we saw this beautiful jaguar. Many of the sightings were of the jaguars tucked up securely in the underbrush on the banks of the river. That situation may not always make for the best photos, but seeing these gorgeous creatures was always a reminder of how privileged we were to be there at all.

Sleeping jaguar ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Sleeping jaguar
©️APaige Baker, 2019

Jaguars are typically solitary creatures. The females generally have 1-2 cubs, who stay with their mother until they are about 2 1/2 years old and then strike out on their own.

The best-loved jaguars are “The Brothers,” Borro and Xando.—and they break all the “rules” about jaguars. The Brothers are 3 1/2, and they still travel, hunt, and sleep together. Whichever one of them is in the lead is always looking back to make sure the other is right behind.

Although they are fully sexually mature, to date The Brothers have shown no sign of separating to mate. Xando is severely cross-eyed, and there is some concern that, because of this, he might not be able to hunt effectively on his own. But no one really knows why they have stayed together or how long their relationship will last. I think a lot of folks are rooting for them to continue their unusual partnership—as Mark said “No male jaguar is going to take on TWO other males.” (As a mom, I can’t help anthropomorphizing and thinking how wonderful it is when siblings take care of each other!)

I worked super hard to get these photos. They are grainy because I had to use a high ISO to shoot into the underbrush. I also practically stood on my head in the boat to shoot them. I didn’t know I was still limber enough to do that!

Borro #1 ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Borro #1
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Borro #2 ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Borro #2
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Xando ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Xando
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

The jaguars seem supremely uninterested/unconcerned by humans. Once they are spotted by the boat drivers, they literally can’t do ANYTHING without a crowd, but they don’t seem to mind.

All the drivers are connected via short-wave radio, and when one spots a jaguar, he (and they appear to be ALL “he’s”), radios the others and everyone comes tearing up from wherever they happen to be at the moment. This can take between a few minutes or an hour (!!!) depending on where you are. I asked Paulo why they do that—why not just keep searching for jaguars where you are? He said, “Because you may ride in the boat for 30-45 minutes and then get to watch a jaguar for two hours.” He was right. (As always!)

A few days into this part of the tour, I got concerned about the way my fellow humans (well, me too) were mobbing these cats. There were times when there would be 20 boats all jockeying for position in one spot to catch a glimpse of a jaguar.

I asked Abbie Martin, the biologist who singlehandedly started the Jaguar Identification Project in the Pantanal, if humans were stressing out the cats by following them everywhere, she told me “If they were stressed, they would just go back into the bush.” They ARE cats, after all!

Abbie pointed out that most of the jaguars we saw have been born after the ecotourism began, and they are so used to humans that they don’t really even notice us that much.

After my conversation with her, I decided that they are serious hams who enjoy posing for all the crazy humans who follow them around. It must feel like the days in Egypt when humans worshiped cats as gods….

Posing jaguar ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Posing jaguar
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

This poor, sweet girl spent over an hour stalking a capybara—and then it hopped in the river and swam away. You win some, you lose some….

Hunting jaguar ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Hunting jaguar
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

CAPYBARAS

I can’t image how someone could fail to fall in love with capybaras. They just look as if they are made to cuddle—especially since they rarely move.

They are the world’s largest rodents—but they don’t have a long, naked tail, so I can overlook the rodent part. They really are quite large—the males can reach 130 lbs. when they are full-grown. I’d say those guys are as big as a really large and stocky Rottweiler.

Mostly they sit around like this…. (This formation lets them scan all directions for danger.) When there are a bunch of them and they have littles, they seem to do what elephants do—put the babies in the middle and face out.

Capybara family on the beach ©A Paige Baker, 2019 — Capybara family on the beach
*©A Paige Baker, 2019*

They seem to be very tender with their littles….

Mama and baby capybaras ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Mama and baby capybaras
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

And the littles are quite curious!

Baby capybara ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Baby capybara
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

This photo pains me. This male clearly had an injured (or maybe broken) leg. He was a sitting duck for a jaguar or a caiman to go after him. I know all about the “circle of life,” and I’ve read Hobbes (“Nasty, brutish, and short”), but it still makes me sad to see any animal hurt and in pain… (And yes, before you ask, I eat meat, and I should reevaluate that….but that’s a conversation for another day.)

Injured male capybara ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Injured male capybara
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

MORE BEAUTIFUL BIRDS

I never really noticed birds all that much before I went to Australia in 2014. But birds Down Under were so different than ours that I couldn’t help getting interested! And I’ve been fascinated by them ever since…

Rufous-Tailed Jacamar ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Rufous-Tailed Jacamar
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Great Black Hawk ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Great Black Hawk
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Rufescent Tiger Heron ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Rufescent Tiger Heron
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

And a 5, 6,7, 8! Jabiru storks ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — And a 5, 6,7, 8! Jabiru storks
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Amazon Kingfisher ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Amazon Kingfisher
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

This may be my favorite bird picture ever…..

Black-Capped Donacobius ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Black-Capped Donacobius
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

And last, but not least….there was this amazing Green Iguana. Every time I see creatures in this family, I am reminded that there are species that can trace their lineage back hundreds of millions of years. The texture of its skin is simply amazing.

Green Iguana ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Green Iguana
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

September 8: A Bounty of Birds

September 08, 2019 by Paige Baker

After breakfast, we left Pousada Rio Claro and headed for Porto Jofre, which lies at the end of the Transpantaneira. Porto Jofre is the Holy Land for those in search of jaguars. Pantanal jaguars are the largest jaguars in the world. The bountiful food supply and lack of serious predators has been very good for these beautiful cats.

There are many other amazing creatures that also live in the area around Porto Jofre—especially birds. Paulo is known internationally for his encyclopedic knowledge of Brazilian birds and other wildlife, and he shared many interesting facts about the flora and fauna that greatly enriched my trip. [He is also kindly checking my bird identifications for posts here—thank you, Paulo!!!]

Capybaras are often spotted with birds sitting on their backs or heads. Their feathered friends are not always very well-behaved, as you can see from the white spots on the capybara’s back. But NOTHING seems to bother these rodents very much. They are the most placid animals I’ve ever seen…

Capybara and Friends (Cattle Tyrants) ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Capybara and Friends (Cattle Tyrants)
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Although I confess that these two images made me reconsider that assessment. They reminded me of family photo sessions where Mom is trying to get everyone to behave and she’s about to lose her mind in the process. Here dad (left) and teenaged daughter (right) appear to be on the outs with one another, and Mom (center) is wishing she was somewhere else having a glass of wine.

Capybara family ignoring the photographers ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Capybara family ignoring the photographers
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

But Mom eventually manages to get them to pose, even if Dad and Daughter are refusing to look at one another (or the photographer) and none of them looks particularly happy!

Capybara family ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Capybara family
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

After we visited with the capybaras, we stopped at a nice resort for a break. There were gorgeous birds EVERYWHERE!

Cattle Tyrant ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Cattle Tyrant
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

These tiny yellow-billed cardinals were some of my favorites. They were present just about everywhere we went on the trip, and they were just as cheerful as they could be. They are particularly pretty in large flocks, where their bright red heads shine like rubies in the sun.

Yellow-Billed Cardinals ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Yellow-Billed Cardinals
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Orange-Backed Troupial ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Orange-Backed Troupial
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Narrow-Billed Woodcreeper ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Narrow-Billed Woodcreeper
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Until we reached Porto Jofre, I could say with perfect confidence that the Chaco Chacalacas were by FAR the noisiest birds I’d ever heard. They love to sing the song of their people—loudly and in chorus. But they have one competitor for loudest bird, and that’s the Hyacinth Macaw (see below).

Chaco Chacalacas ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Chaco Chacalacas
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

It was lovely to find that toucans are every bit as gorgeous in person as they are on the Fruit Loops box!

Toco Toucan ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Toco Toucan
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

This Palm Tanager was NOT happy with the Giant Kiskadee trying to get in on the papaya action. As for me, I was thrilled to find that I had actually managed to freeze that Kiskadee in motion!

Palm Tanager and Great Kiskadee ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Palm Tanager and Great Kiskadee
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

This Chaco Chacalaca was much prettier than the others I photographed above—but every bit as raucous.

Chaco Chacalaca ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Chaco Chacalaca
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Caciques build the most interesting nests!

Yellow-Rumped Cacique ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Yellow-Rumped Cacique
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

I think this is a female Crimson-Crested Woodpecker. All I could think about when I was hitting the shutter button was the old Woody Woodpecker sound…

Crimson-Crested Woodpecker ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Crimson-Crested Woodpecker
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

The highlight of the afternoon was the arrival of the Hyacinth Macaws. They have a permanent expression that says “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!” They also look as if they are going to break into a tap dancing routine at any moment…

Hyacinth Macaws ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Hyacinth Macaws
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Lily Pad Bridge Hotel Pantanal North ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Lily Pad Bridge
Hotel Pantanal North
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Wattled Jacana (juvenile) ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Wattled Jacana (juvenile)
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Striated Heron ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Striated Heron
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Sunset, Porto Jofre, Brazil ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Sunset, Porto Jofre, Brazil
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

September 7: Bird is the Word

September 07, 2019 by Paige Baker

As I mentioned, I was blown away by how difficult bird photography is. Mark Thomas, the photographer who guided our tour, was very blunt: “If you shoot in an automatic mode, you will miss the shot every time.” So he would have the boat drivers line all the boats up so that everyone could get a clear shot, and then he would call out the manual settings he wanted us to use. Our results on Day 2 were markedly better….

Note: I have put these photos in a particular order to give you a feel for the “story” of photographing birds of prey. I didn’t actually shoot them in this order, and it’s not the same individual bird in every frame of a sequence—but you get the idea….

Black-collared hawk ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Black-collared hawk
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

“Attack launched” Black-collared hawk ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — “Attack launched”
Black-collared hawk
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

“Empty-handed” Black-collared hawk talons ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — “Empty-handed”
Black-collared hawk talons
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

“Success!” Black-collared hawk retrieving a piranha ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — “Success!”
Black-collared hawk retrieving a piranha
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

The following photos are my favorites of the “birds-in-flight” photos I took. A professional bird photographer would have captured the whole bird, but I think these images are more powerful without the entire bird in the frame. YMMV.

Black-collared hawk talons clutching a piranha ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Black-collared hawk talons clutching a piranha
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

It’s hard to believe that Cocoi herons can go from sitting in a tree and looking so regal …..

…to looking like the most awkward, skinny teenagers you’ve ever seen when they decide to go fishing. (FTR, this is not a good photograph. I cut off the bird’s left wing. But it makes me laugh every time I look at it, so I really don’t care.)

This is my other favorite shot. Click on this one to make it bigger and then take a close look at the bird’s face. I wish I could concentrate like that!

“Eye of the Storm” Cocoi heron ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — “Eye of the Storm”
Cocoi heron
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

I included this photo of a ringed kingfisher diving for one reason only—I captured it.

Mark kept trying to get a pic of a kingfisher diving but he wasn’t successful. They are so incredibly fast, and they are small—so they are in and out of the water before you can even get your camera focused. It was pure luck that I got this one, but a good shot would show its face, not its tail feathers.

Ringed kingfisher ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Ringed kingfisher
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Sometimes motion blur is not such a bad thing…..

Roadside hawk ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Roadside hawk
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

If you look closely, you can see that this Anhinga has an injury on its neck…

Anhinga ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Anhinga
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Jabiru storks look like something out of a cartoon! Just don’t stand under a tree where one is nesting. You will find out pretty quickly that they only look like cartoon birds…

These two sat and stared at each other for a few minutes. Then the caracara capitulated and flew away.

“Face Off” Southern crested caracara and Jabiru stork ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — “Face Off”
Southern crested caracara and Jabiru stork
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

In addition to the birds….

There were these giant spider webs! I never saw the spider that created that incredible web, but it must be the size of a basketball!

Spider web ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Spider web
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

And there were capuchin monkeys…

Capuchin monkey ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Capuchin monkey
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

And these terrifying Giant River Otters. Sea otters are small and cute. The Portuguese name for these guys means “river wolf,” and it fits. They look as if they would rip your heart out and eat it in front of you. And that’s AFTER they gang up on a jaguar and basically tell it to piss off. (We saw this happen.) They scared the living daylights out of me. You’ll understand better when you see the photos from later in the trip….

Giant river otter ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Giant river otter
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

September 6: The Adventure Begins!

September 06, 2019 by Paige Baker

The Road to the Jaguars

This is the Transpantaneira Highway…

Transpantaneira Highway, Mato Grosso, Brazil ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Transpantaneira Highway, Mato Grosso, Brazil
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

To call it a “highway” is stretching things a bit—it’s just over 90 miles of dirt road. It crosses no fewer than 122 extremely rickety and completely terrifying wooden bridges. (More on that later… ) And it’s bumpy. VERY bumpy.

But from April to October, the Transpantaneira is the path to jaguars, capybaras, birds, and all manner of other amazing flora and fauna that most people will only see on “Animal Planet.” The rest of the year, the road is under water; the people who staff the ecotourism lodges shut everything down by the end of October and leave to do other things.

I kept meaning to ask those staff members about what they do in the rainy season, but we were all busy, and I never got around to posing the question. But I do know what one group of Brazilians does when the rains come.

Raising cattle is a big business in this part of Brazil. As you get closer to the entrance to the Pantanal, you begin to see herds of very thin white cows, trying to graze in fields full of termite mounds. [The cows look like they are starving to death and the termite mounds look like gravestones. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a sucker for a graveyard photo!]

At the end of October, the local cowboys drive the cattle up the Transpantaneira to lush northern pastures before the rains start. They do this on horseback, of course—while holding the reins in one hand and their smartphones in the other. [No joke—I actually saw one doing that.]

I hope this poor bovine got a decent meal before it BECAME a decent meal!

Skinny Cows and Termite Mounds ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Skinny Cows and Termite Mounds
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

There is no doubt when you arrive at the entrance to the park:

Welcome to the Pantanal! ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Welcome to the Pantanal!
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

It doesn’t take long until you start seeing some of the millions of caimans that inhabit the Pantanal. This guy was having a hard time eating his lunch. Caimans don’t have tongues and they basically have to line their prey up with their gullets and choke it down. We watched this one for quite a while and he STILL hadn’t managed to swallow that enormous fish by the time we had to leave….

Caiman eating its lunch ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Caiman eating its lunch
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Our first lodge was the Pousada Rio Claro. We spent two days there photographing birds from boats in the middle of the Cuiabá River.

Let me tell you something. My hat is off to bird photographers. It’s the most difficult shooting I’ve ever done, and even the other photographers on my tour—who were all MUCH better and more seasoned than I am with a DSLR—struggled with getting good shots. I had to throw away almost all of the 1,370 shots from the first day.

But here are a few I kept. I don’t claim that they are great photos, but they make me happy:

Yellow-billed cardinal and Black-hooded parakeet ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Yellow-billed cardinal and Black-hooded parakeet
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Yellow-chevroned parakeet, Pousada Rio Claro ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Yellow-chevroned parakeet, Pousada Rio Claro
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

The Cuiabá River is beautiful and peaceful. Within a short period of time, I felt my whole body starting to unwind from all the pre-trip and travel stress. Views like this one helped. [That’s a pale-vented pigeon flying across the left side of the screen. Many thanks to our wonderful Brazilian guide, Paulo Boute, for helping me identify it!]

Cuiabá River ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Cuiabá River
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Caiman with passengers ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Caiman with passengers
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

I know this image of a black-collared hawk looks photoshopped, but I swear it isn’t!

Black-collared hawk with piranha ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Black-collared hawk with piranha
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

As we finished our shoot and headed for our dock, I got my first glimpse of real, live CAPYBARAS!!

Capybaras ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Capybaras
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

The first of many magical sunsets on the Cuiabá River…

Sunset on the Cuiabá River ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Sunset on the Cuiabá River
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Sunset, Pousada Rio Claro ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Sunset, Pousada Rio Claro
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

Getting there...

September 05, 2019 by Paige Baker

The week before I left for Brazil, Hurricane Dorian decided to head toward the Caribbean. Since I was scheduled to fly to São Paulo from Miami, I figured it would be a good idea to change my flight to leave from Dallas. Good move. Smooth flights and no delays—a virtual first for my international travels!

From São Paulo, I flew to Cuiabá—the starting point for the tour. I was a little worried about how I was going to get from the Cuiabá airport to my hotel, but it was wasted energy. Our local guide, Paulo Boute, was waiting there to meet me. It was immediately apparent that he was greatly admired by all of the other guides who had come to meet their respective guests. Everyone made an effort to come up and say hello to Paulo while we waited for one other guest, TC Yuen, to arrive. It turns out that Paulo knows EVERYONE in Brazil—and that made our trip pleasant and comfortable in ways I can only begin to imagine.

Paulo, TC, and me—Cuiabá Airport ©️APaige Baker, 2019 — Paulo, TC, and me—Cuiabá Airport
*©️APaige Baker, 2019*

TC and I were the early birds—the other six people on the tour arrived the following day. The group had a lovely dinner with Mark Thomas, our photographer guide, and then we all retired to bed to dream of jaguars (or, in my case, of the equipment I accidentally left behind….sigh).

I still had plenty of gear though…. ;-)

How I ended up in Brazil....

September 04, 2019 by Paige Baker in Wildlife, Travel

The adventure began—as most adventures do—by accident.

I was supposed to go to Italy, not Brazil. I had been accepted into a 6-person photography workshop in Orta San Giulio in early September. I was going to study with internationally acclaimed photographer Jill Mathis, and there would be a show at the end of the workshop. As you might imagine, I was pretty stoked about this.

But as the spring wore on, the news from Italy wasn’t good. It looked as if the timing wasn’t right for too many of the other workshop participants, and I saw my long-awaited chance at doing “serious photography” slipping away…

So I started searching for a “consolation prize” trip. Given my wonderful trip there in 2016, I was planning to return to South Africa—-but then I saw an offer for an amazing tour to photograph jaguars in the Brazilian Pantanal, which is the world’s largest tropical wetland.

Map of the Brazilian Pantanal (Highlighted area) P199, Pantanal 55.76W 15.40S, marked as public domain, more details on Wikimedia Commons — Map of the Brazilian Pantanal (Highlighted area)
P199, Pantanal 55.76W 15.40S, marked as public domain, more details on Wikimedia Commons

Estimated Area: Between 54,000 and 75,000 sq miles
Average yearly rainfall: 39–55 inches, occurring between October and April
Average temperature: 77 °F, but temperatures can fluctuate from 32 to 104 °F

A portion of the Pantanal was named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. This UNESCO video provides a glimpse of the beauty of the area and the diversity of the wildlife there:

The video doesn’t even mention the jaguars (!!!), so I thought you might be interested in viewing the video that sealed the deal and put me on the path to one of the most amazing experiences of my life:

And THAT is how I ended up in Brazil…exhaustion, disappointment, and a random Google search.

The Lord moves in mysterious ways….

A Note of Thanks

Any of the good photos I took in Brazil were thanks to Jamey Reynolds, of Southeastern Camera in Raleigh, who gave me a crash course in using my new cameras; Mark Thomas, of Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris, who made it his goal to help me be comfortable with using those cameras during our tour; and Paulo Boute, our Brazilian guide, who pointed out so many amazing things I would never have seen without his expert eye. Because of their expert help and their unfailing kindness and good humor, the trip was everything I hoped it would be…and so much more. I will be forever grateful to each of them.

I am also grateful to my tour mates—Stephanie Brand, Mark Elder, Glen Kendall, Vella Kendall, Dolores Kiel, Roger Kiel, and TC Yuen—for their generosity in sharing their photography knowledge with me. Even though they were all much more experienced photographers than I am, they were kind and patient with the “new kid.” I’m happy to have learned so much AND made such wonderful new friends!

All of the bad photos I took were my own fault, of course.