I am currently in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, enjoying some Arctic entomology. However, this has meant I’ve been unable to keep up on great science stories, and have therefore opted to bring photographs to this week (and next week’s) Expiscor.

I asked a few of my favourite photographers if there were willing to contribute to this edition of Expiscor by providing me with their favourite nature photograph – i.e., the image that THEY took, that is their favourite.  Here are some of the images, and I deeply thank the photographers for agreeing to contribute and giving me permission to post their work, here!

First up, the incredible Thomas Shahan, here’s a jumping spider (Phidippus putnami) shot that he adores:

Next up is a lovely shot from Sean McCann – here’s the story behind this image, and why it holds a special place for him:

In my PhD research I spent four three-month field seasons at the Nouragues Station in French Guiana studying the Red-throated Caracara. The majority of the time, I was working from the ground in the thick rainforest, watching the birds overhead. This does not make for good photo opportunities, as the birds are silhouetted against a bright sky. When we did things such as bird capture or audio playback, the birds would come down to near ground level, but under the canopy the forest is so dark it is really tough to get good shots. Needless to say, for a scientist/photographer studying his favourite birds, this was very frustrating!

Finally, in my 4th field season, toward the end of our stay, I took the opportunity to walk down to the Pararé camp, where there are some towers built that reach above the canopy. I brought my playback device so I could try to lure caracaras to the trees near the tower. Luckily, it worked extremely well, and I was able to capture some good well-lit shots of my study organism for the first time. The tower allowed me to enter the real habitat of the caracaras, the high treetops with the equipment to pull off some good shots. I think this was one of the most exciting days of my research, and having this photo to remember it by is wonderful.

From Alex Wild... he directed me to his set of favourites, so I picked this amazing shot of honey pot ants. Wow!

To finish off this week’s Photography edition, here’s a milk snake from Nash Turley: