Steve Gettle Nature Photography

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Howell, MI
Steve Gettle Nature Photography

Please enjoy our work, as we bear witness to the beauty and natural wonders of our amazing planet.

05/30/2026

There's just something amazing about being in the midst of Pumas. Their strength, their confidence, their agility - it all just leaves you in awe.
For the love of wildlife, Nicole

05/29/2026

"Friday Photo Tip" - Using Compression - Burnt Lenga Forest, Patagonia

I was stopped cold by the graphic rhythm of these old weathered Lenga trees twisting in front of the autumn color. Shot with a 600mm plus a 1.4x teleconverter (effective 840mm), I intentionally used a lot of glass—not to isolate a single tree, but to visually compress the scene. The long focal length flattens depth, stacking trunks into a two‑dimensional pattern and turning chaotic woodland into bold, repeating shapes and texture. The result feels more like a graphic study than a traditional landscape.

Quick takeaways:

Use a long lens to compress distance and emphasize pattern and texture.
Stand farther back and let the lens “pull” background elements closer to the foreground.
Look for repeating elements (trunks, branches, color bands) that benefit from a flattened perspective.

Good Luck and Good Light!
Steve

Image: Weathered trunks with fall color, Torres Del Paine, Patagonia
Nikon Z9, 600mm PF with 1.4 TC, 1/25th @ f16, Iso 400, Image cropped 5% for final composition

05/27/2026

"In the Spotlight" - Puma - Torres del Paine, Patagonia
This incredible light only lasted for about ten seconds! As the sun cleared the hill off to camera right for a moment it lit up just the cat and the grasses leaving everything else shaded.
For you photographers out there - this is a tough exposure situation. You want to expose for the sunlit cat and let everything else go dark. So in manual metering mode you simply take a spot meter reading off the cat and set your exposure. In any of the program modes with matrix metering you would simply dial in a minus one exposure compensation. This would properly expose the dark background and avoid blowing out the cat.
The magic is in the moments!

Image: Puma, Torres del Paine, Patagonia
Nikon Z9, 600mm PF, 1/640th @ f11, ISO 640, Image cropped 0% for final composition

05/25/2026

"Newfoundland Foxes" - Red Fox -
Most people think of our Newfoundland trip as targeting Puffins and Northern Gannets and we certainly do focus on those birds. Additionally however we usually have a fox den or two to work as well. One of the things I really love about photographing the foxes here is the beautiful habitat they are in. Of course the kits are super cute as well.
We have a few spots available in our 2027 trip if you would like to join us!

Good Luck and Good Light!
Steve

05/23/2026

On our trip to Brazil, one of the animals we look for is the Giant Anteater. They are so unique! A few years ago, we found a place where they thrive and last year, we changed up our entire trip to visit this new location specifically for these beautiful animals and it paid off - we saw over a dozen on our first evening! There are lots of "fun facts" about anteaters but one that really jumped out at me is that rather than regular stomach acid, they use the formic acid released by ants to digest the very ants that they are eating!! We can't wait to go back and spend more time with these geniuses of the ant eating world!
For the love of wildlife,
Nicole

05/21/2026

"Throwback Thursday" "Dawn Dancer" - Sharp-tailed Grouse -
Sunrise silhouette — the grouse’s courtship dance begins mid-April when males gather to dance and attract a mate.

05/20/2026

"Costa Rican Beauty" - Golden-browed Chlorophonia -
In my opinion one of the prettiest birds in a country filled with amazing birds.
If you would like a chance to photograph these stunning birds we have recently opened up registration for our 2027 Costa Rica photo tour.

Good Luck and Good Light!
Steve

Image: Nikon Z9, 600mm TC, 1/250th @ fp, ISO 800, Image cropped 0% for final composition.

05/19/2026

"Bedazzled" - Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly -
I just Love mornings when we get a heavy dew like this. This Damselfly is beautiful of course but the real star of this show is the heavy dew!

When it is below about 60 degrees insects are in a state of torpor and cannot move well. But this guy still manages to move one leg enough to wipe the dew from its eye so it can keep that eye on me.

Good Luck and Good Light!
Steve

Image: Nikon D6, 200mm Macro, 2.5 seconds @ f22, ISO 100, Image cropped 5% for Instagram format

05/18/2026

"Exit Stage Left" - Male Eastern Bluebird -
A baby bluebird gets fed approximately 5,000 to 8,000 times before it fledges. Both parents work together to feed the nestlings an insect-heavy diet about once every 10 to 20 minutes during daylight hours, totaling up to 400+ feeding trips per day across the 16 to 21 days they spend in the nest.

Good Luck and Good Light!
Steve

Image; Nikon D6, 180-400mm, 1/200th @ f16, ISO 400, Cognisys Sabre Trigger and 6 high speed flashes, Image cropped 0% for final composition

05/16/2026

We will be returning to Alaska soon, just as the bears are coming out of hibernation and the lupine are blooming. Its a glorious time of spring renewal!
For the love of wildlife, Nicole

Address

6976 Richardson Road
Howell, MI
48843

Website

http://www.stevegettle.com/

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