Tim Laman

| Wildlife Photojournalist

Wildlife Diaries

The Wildlife Diaries newsletter is the best way to keep up to date with Tim Laman’s latest work and travels, and to learn about photography and natural history as well. Read through his recent posts here or sign up to receive the posts via email using the form on the right.

Wildlife Diaries

Emperor Penguin Encounters

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Dear Friends,
I’ve been back for a few weeks from an amazing journey to Antarctica, and finally getting around to sharing some more from the trip.
Emperor penguins were a surprise and a huge highlight for me! As we traveled south into the Ross Sea, we encountered them in ones and twos, and then in bigger groups. At up to 46 kg (nearly 100 lbs), the Emperor Penguin is one of the world’s heaviest birds, only exceeded in weight by Ostriches, Cassowaries, and Emus. Seeing the power with which these birds can launch their chunky bodies out of the water was remarkable. Check out the photos and videos below!
And if you’re an underwater photographer curious about the photo workshop I’m offering in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat islands in August, please tap the link down at the bottom and check out the details.

The Preening Emperor

Coulman Island vicinity, Ross Sea, AntarcticaAs our zodiac boat approached the iceberg where the Emperor was standing, it completely ignored us and just kept preening. I was glad the bird was bending over, preening its belly feathers, creating a more interesting composition. In the soft light, every detail was visible, from the birds jet black eye, to the snowflakes stuck to its breast feathers. I spend so much time photographing shy birds that I have to shoot from blinds, that it was a joy to be so close to a bird that didn’t mind our presence. I captured this image, but also savored the moment.
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Heading to Antarctica

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Greetings from the Southern Ocean, where I am currently on board the National Geographic Endurance en route from New Zealand to Antarctica.  Soon we will be too far south to connect to the ships satellite internet, so I thought I share a few images from the first part of the voyage while I still can.

We sailed from Dunedin, New Zealand, and had several exciting days visiting sub-antarctic islands on the way south.  Below are a few favorite shots so far.  Stay tuned, and I’ll share more from this long voyage along western Antarctica to the Antarctic Peninsula, and eventually ending in Argentina.  I’m serving as the National Geographic photography expert on board, sharing my work, giving talks on wildlife photography for the guests, and of course shooting pictures myself at every opportunity.

Albatross Over the Surf Zone

The second group of islands we visited on our journey south were New Zealand’s Aukland Island group, about 450 kilometers south of  New Zealand’s South Island.  Here we had a chance to hike across the island of Enderby to a cliff-top overlook, where Southern Royal Albatross were occasionally cruising by as the went to and from their nesting grounds on the island.  This bird came especially close and passed over the surf zone at the cliff base where the turbulent water took on this beautiful aquamarine hue.  Southern Royals are among the largest flying birds along with their close relative the Wandering Albatross, with a wingspan that can reach 12 feet (or 3.5 meters). It was an amazing experience to see these spectacular birds passing so close by.
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Underwater Photography Workshop in Raja Ampat

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This is a special announcement for the underwater photography enthusiasts out there!  As those of you who have followed my work for a while probably know, although I do a lot bird and primate photography, I am also passionate about exploring the underwater world with my cameras, especially to document the diversity of life on coral reefs.

My underwater stories for National Geographic have included “Fiji’s Rainbow Reefs”, and “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish – Why are Coral Reefs So Colorful” (yes NatGeo cleared the title with Dr. Seus), as well as other projects mixing topside and underwater coverage, like “Mangroves” and “Biodiversity Hotspots – Philippines”.  

My favorite place to dive, ever since I spent considerable time there working on two stories for German GEO magazine in 2007, has been the Raja Ampat Islands of West Papua, Indonesia.  This region has been documented to have the highest coral and fish species diversity on the planet, and reefs that are in excellent health.  It also doesn’t hurt that these islands harbor birds-of-paradise (which can be seen on morning excursions from the dive resort).

I am thus excited to announce that later this year, from August 6-16, 2023, I will be leading an Underwater Photography workshop with my good friend and colleague Zafer Kizillkaya at the spectacular Papua Explorers dive resort.

You can read more about the workshop and learn how to sign up at PapuaExplorers.com. If you are interested, please sign up soon.  Space is limited, and spots have begun to fill already.  

Reef Rebirth Under the Jetty

Healthy corals flourish amidst the pilings of an old jetty in Yenbuba Village, in the Raja Ampat Islands, West Papua, Indonesia, and a moorish idol and bright blue damselfish highlight the scene.  This shot, which I made between dives snorkeling in shallow water right in front of a village, exemplifies the rich and flourishing coral life in this region.  Many villages in the area have chosen to protect their reefs and limit fishing in exchange for fees collected from diving operators.  This means your visit will contribute to coral reef conservation, and also, that there are amazing dive sites full of healthy coral and fish populations in very accessible locations that you can enjoy photographing.

Meanwhile, below are a few images that my son Russell and I took in 2022 during a brief diving trip with Papua Explorers.  I hope this gives you a little sense of the scope and diversity of marine life that you can see and photograph in Raja Ampat.  Please also check out my co-leader Zafer’s Instagram feed to see his great work from Raja Ampat (@kizilkaya_zafer).

It really is one of the top diving destinations in the world, so if you are interested in improving your underwater photography, why not join us in Raja Ampat, a true paradise for underwater photography?

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at studio@timlaman.com as well.

A Few More Recent Shots From Raja Ampat

In Raja Ampat, it’s possible to shoot wide angle shots of vibrant coral reefs teaming with life, such as this shot of a green sea turtle swims over a diverse and healthy reef by Russell Laman.

 Detail of a spotfin lionfish.  With a great variety of approachable fish species, Raja Ampat is a great place to shoot creative fish portraits.

Fascinating and colorful subjects abound for the wide-angle enthusiast.  Can you spot the scorpionfish in this shot by Russell Laman.

A tiny striped goby rests on a colorful sponge.  For the macro photography enthusiast, there is no end of subjects to explore in Raja Ampat.

A pair of crab-eyed gobies hover at the entrance to their burrow.  If you are fascinated by the behavior of fish and other marine creatures, Raja Ampat is a wonderful place to explore with a camera.

Pajama cardinalfish hover among the mangrove roots.  The clear water around these limestone islands makes Raja Ampat a great place to experiment with over/under type images such this shot I made at the mangrove forest edge.

A Glimpse Behind The Camera

Here is my co-leader, extraordinary underwater photographer Zafer Kizilkaya working his magic with a school of cooperative sweetlips.  Join us in Raja Ampat this year, and we’ll help you improve your photography while you also enjoy some spectacular diving.  If you have a housed dslr and strobes like Zafer, great, but if you have a simpler camera system, that is also totally fine and we will help you get the most of it.

Thanks for tuning in to my adventures.  If you know any Underwater Photography enthusiasts who may not get this newsletter, please feel free to pass it on…. I really appreciate it.

Stay safe everyone, and be sure to get your dose of nature therapy!  I hope to see you later this year in Raja Ampat!

Warmest regards,

Tim Laman

A New Baby Orangutan and Happy New Year 2023!

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Dear Friends,

Happy New Year, and all the best to everyone for 2023!

As we kick off the new year, I have some exciting news from my recent trip to Borneo.  On Dec 11, as I was already packing up to depart the next morning from the research station in Gunung Palung National Park, I got word that one of the field assistants had found the female orangutan named Berani, and that she had a new baby!  Luckily, I was able to rearrange my travel to spend two days photographing Berani and her new baby before traveling home.  

Berani and her new baby, photographed on Dec 12, 2022.
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Are you a Bird-of-Paradise Fan?

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I know that many of you, like me, are especially fascinated by the incredible family of birds known as the Birds-of-Paradise.  I love photographing them, and sharing the stories of these unique birds.

My goal with my photography is to spread appreciation and awareness about species like Birds-of-Paradise, and the habitats they depend on, in their case, the rainforests of New Guinea.  If you want to join me in this effort, one way you can do that is by displaying and sharing my images.  Yes, this is a sales pitch, because selling my work is how I make a living so I can keep doing this.  But when you purchase my work, whether it’s a calendar, print, or book, you are helping others see and appreciate birds as well, and you have become part of my team, spreading the message.  

So thanks for reading, and as the holidays approach, and my print sale is running, think about joining me in spreading your love for birds to others.  I appreciate your support, and I believe together we can make a positive impact.

Paradise Practice
A young male Paradise Riflebird practices his courtship display on a perch in the rainforest of southern Queensland, Australia.  The adult male of this species is jet black, where as the young males have the same mottled plumage as the females.  But it is easy to recognize a young male when after watching an adult male perform this raised-wing display, he flies up to the same perch used by the adult, and goes through the same motions.  Bird-of-Paradise displays are partly instinctive, but also have a learned component, and young birds spend a lot of time perfecting their moves, and seem to take it very seriously, as you can see.

“Paradise Practice” is now available for purchase in my fine art store.

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Back From Borneo

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Well folks, I’m home for a little while after more than three months overseas.  It was a long trip, but really great to get back to the rainforest of Indonesia’s Gunung Palung National Park after a couple year hiatus due to the pandemic.  I am working on a couple different projects there this year, and one of them is a new feature for National Geographic magazine celebrating the rich diversity of life in one of the best remaining lowland rainforests in Indonesia.

I’ll be heading back for one more trip before the year is out, but wanted to give you a little sneak peak on what I’ve been up to.  Be sure to stay tuned and re-up your NatGeo membership to get the full story coming out next year!

Rhinoceros Hornbill Close-up
The charismatic Rhinoceros Hornbills have been a personal favorite subject of mine since I first went to Borneo over 30 years ago.  It was awesome to be high up in tree in Borneo again, and have some close encounters with this magnificent species.  I made this portrait of a male (recognizable by his red eye), at a fruiting strangler fig as he moved around the tree crown seeking out the ripest figs.
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