Photography by Leighton

08/19/2026

Day 3 from the Art of Seeing Pantanal 2026 workshop — more birds, more wildlife, more of why this place is unreal.

Black-collared hawks were out in force today, perched low over the water and scanning for fish. Giant river otters showed up too — always a highlight, watching a family work the river together. And of course, more caimans lining the banks like it’s nothing.

More from the Pantanal soon.

08/18/2026

Caimans on the Rio Claro today — the yacaré caiman, to be exact, and specific to this stretch of the Pantanal.

Fun fact: the Pantanal is home to an estimated 10 million yacaré caimans — possibly the largest single crocodilian population on Earth.   Wild to think about that density every time you’re out on the water here.

More from the river soon!

08/18/2026

Day 2 in the Pantanal and the Rio Claro delivered in a big way. Spent the day cruising the river and it did not disappoint.

Shot of the day goes to this Great Black Hawk — came in low right in front of us, wings fully fanned, talons down. One of those moments where you just hope you had the shutter speed right.

More from the river coming.

08/17/2026

08/14/2026

Happy World Lizard Day! Today we celebrate the incredible diversity of lizards, from the massive Komodo dragon, the world’s largest living lizard, to the remarkable chameleons known for their unique adaptations. Lizards come in an incredible variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, making them some of the most fascinating reptiles on Earth.

08/12/2026

Five weeks in Brazil starts now. From the Pantanal to the Amazon rainforest, covering serious ground this trip. Let's see what shows up.

08/11/2026

Same species, different world. The brown bears I photograph in Finland and the ones I shoot in Alaska are both Ursus arctos — but Alaska's coastal bears can hit 1,000+ pounds thanks to a salmon-heavy diet, while Finland's forest bears typically top out around 300-500 pounds on a berries-and-roots menu. Fun fact: the name "grizzly" has nothing to do with temperament — it refers to the grizzled, silver-tipped fur, a trait you'll see on inland North American bears but rarely on their European cousins. Russia actually holds the largest brown bear population on Earth, over 100,000 strong.I love bears!

08/09/2026

Today is Celebrate Hawaiian Honeycreepers Day. Over 50 species of these birds once called Hawaiʻi home. Only 17 remain, and several are down to just a handful of individuals left in the wild — avian malaria spread by mosquitoes is the main driver. These birds evolved right here over millions of years and exist nowhere else on Earth. If you get the chance to see one in the high-elevation forests, take it. It's not guaranteed for much longer.

08/06/2026

Can't wait to get back to the Amazon and slip into the water with the pink river dolphins again. There's nothing like locking eyes with one underwater — they're way more flexible than ocean dolphins since their neck vertebrae aren't fused, so they can actually turn their heads side to side. Counting down the days until I'm back in that murky green water waiting for one to appear out of nowhere.

08/04/2026

This is the view from my office last week. Long days — trudging through mud, across rivers, through buggy fields — but sitting with the bears in this pristine wilderness makes it all worth it. Could be worse places to work.