Kevin Lohman Photography

09/03/2026

⁣
𝗜’𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀!⁣
⁣
My image of a Brandt’s Cormorant returning to its colony with nesting material received an Honorable Mention in the “Plants for Birds” category of the 2026 Audubon Photography Awards.⁣
⁣
For Brandt’s Cormorants, gathering surf grass and other vegetation is an important part of building and maintaining a nest, helping attract a mate and prepare for nesting. I photographed this bird as it returned with a bill full of nesting material, panning with a slow shutter speed to emphasize its movement just before landing.⁣
⁣
Thank you, !

09/02/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘆 𝗕𝗮𝘆!⁣
⁣
Our whale-watching cruise yesterday started with beautiful weather and hopes of seeing some action on the first day of September. Little did we know just how much action we were about to see.⁣
⁣
We spotted whales breaching in the distance, but the highlight was two separate encounters with humpback whale mothers and their calves. In both encounters, the calves breached over and over again, giving us incredible opportunities to watch and photograph the action.⁣
⁣
By the end of our three-hour trip with Sanctuary Cruises, we estimated that we had seen as many as 50 breaches around us. An unforgettable morning on Monterey Bay!⁣
⁣
Thanks, Captain Joey, for the great positioning of the boat! Thanks, Luke, for the bad dad jokes!

Sanctuary Cruises Whale Watching

08/31/2026

There goes a pellet!

A juvenile Great Horned Owl eats plenty of small rodents, squirrels, rabbits, and birds. But the indigestible parts—bones, fur, and feathers—have to go somewhere. Owls compact this material into a pellet and later regurgitate it.

Here is that moment, photographed just after sunset with a little color still showing through the trees behind the owl. I used a slower shutter speed to capture some motion and make the moment last just a bit longer.

Nikon Z9, 400mm f/2.8 lens at f/2.8, 1/60 second, ISO 6400, -2 EV
Handheld

Santa Cruz, California
28 August 2026

08/30/2026

A fun surprise for 2027!

Has anyone seen the 2027 Audubon Hummingbirds Mini Calendar? Take a close look at the cover—and then flip to July. That’s one of my photos of an Allen’s Hummingbird, photographed at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden.

I was so pleased to receive my copies from the publisher and see my image featured both on the cover and inside the calendar. It’s especially meaningful to have an image made at one of my favorite local places included in such a beautiful collection of hummingbird photography.

I’ve seen it advertised for $9.99.

P.S.– it sounds like I will also have a photo on the cover of the 2028 Audubon hummingbirds mini calendar. Keep an eye out for it!

UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Santa Cruz, CA

08/29/2026

A juvenile Great Horned Owl (about 5 months old) spotted its mom hunting on the ground and flew over to join her. As soon as the young owl landed, mom took off, leaving it to investigate on its own.

These three images show the young owl searching the ground for something to eat. It eventually found something worth picking up—unfortunately, it was a rock.

Still learning.

Santa Cruz, California
27 August 2026

08/28/2026

⁣“𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴”⁣
⁣
An adult female Great Horned Owl claims an accessible parking sign for an evening perch as the setting sun creates a fiery golden glow through the trees behind her. ⁣
⁣
Santa Cruz, California⁣
27 August 2026

08/27/2026

Love my winking fox photo! Thanks Outdoor Photographer Magazine!

A magical wildlife moment: Kevin Lohman Photography captures a red fox giving him what looks like a playful wink. 🦊📸 See how this memorable photo came together.

Link to this foxy story in the comments.

08/26/2026

⁣
“𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝘆 𝗪𝗮𝘆”⁣
⁣
A juvenile Great Horned Owl, about five months old, takes off and flies in my direction, appearing for a moment to be heading straight toward me. As it gains momentum, it rises above me and continues on to another part of the forest.⁣
⁣
It is always amazing to watch an owl fly, but especially one of this family that I have been photographing since the two young owls hatched. One of the things I value most is being able to observe them behaving naturally. They preen, yawn, rest, call, hunt, eat, and sometimes fly right past me. Most of the time, they simply go about their lives as if I’m not there.⁣
⁣
As always, I give these owls plenty of space, use a long lens, and move carefully to avoid disturbing or influencing their behavior. If an owl chooses to move closer, I stay where I am and let the owl decide where it wants to go. Being able to watch them simply “being owls” is one of the most rewarding parts of photographing this family.⁣
⁣
Santa Cruz, California⁣
23 August 2026

08/24/2026

“Draped in Gold”

Golden evening light surrounds this four-month-old Great Horned Owl as it waits in a eucalyptus tree for darkness to settle in. Finding an owl on a beautiful perch is always rewarding, but when the light comes together too, it makes the moment even more special.

Santa Cruz, California
July 2026

08/20/2026

A smile of a different kind. This Harbor Seal was courting another, and things quickly became lively. During courtship, a male may bite and tug at a female as they roll together in the water, splashing and slapping the surface.

It makes for some exciting photography, but the action is over quickly. In a few seconds the water is calm again, with just a couple of heads bobbing above the surface before the seals disappear below.

17 August 2026
Moss Landing, California