Wildlife Photography - Galapagos Islands and Ecuadorian Amazon Photo Tour

Quito, Ecuador. The city is 2 miles high and a launch pad for The Galapagos

Sunset in The Galapagos - Day is done

Footloose in The Galapagos 

Only the Lonely

Male Frigate Bird showing his ware

Tequila Sunset

I am embarking on a wildlife photography tour of the Galapagos Islands and the Ecuadorian Amazon. Last year I had a very good tour of the Peruvian Amazon and Highlands. It was a great testing ground for my Canon equipment due to its diverse climates of heavy humidity in the jungles and cold temperatures of over 2 miles elevation in the Peruvian Andes.

In keeping with my philosophy of traveling lighter, my main equipment are the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, EOS-1D Mark IV, EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II and EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II.

There will be very limited access to the Internet and little time to look over and process my photos. I have a small laptop to process a few pics and will try and keep my readers up to date on any interesting Canon and other photography news. In the meantime, you can follow my travels on Facebook and Twitter. See my equipment bag and works on MichaelDanielHo.com

Canon EF 70-30mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM Lens Coming Soon

I have just returned from my Upper Amazon/Peruvian Highlands Photo Tour testing the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II camera in hot, steamy jungles and cold, two miles plus high, Andean mountains. Overall, I am quite impressed by the new body but now I have to take some time to get back to the daily routine, process the photos and get ready for my next trip to again test the camera in a whole new part of the world and environment.

Just a quick note to let my readers know Canon is ready to replace its non 'L' EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS lens with the Series II some time in August. It will be after the announcement of the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III but before the Photokina Show in Cologne, Germany in September. I expect the price of the lens will be slightly higher than the current list price but packs with much better technology and optics. The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS and EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II are two of my favorite 'L' lens. You can see my equipment bag and works on MichaelDanielHo.com 

Wildlife Photography - Upper Amazon Photo Tour, Day 9 - 17

Canon EOS-1D X Mark II full frame camera

* * *  Arctic Wildlife Photo Tour testing the EOS-1D X Mark II  * * *

* * *  Canon EOS-1D X Mark II vs Nikon D5 camera comparison  * * *

Still on my Upper Amazon Photo Tour in Peru, testing the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II camera. The weather is very hot, extremely humid, rainy, damp and muggy. Wildlife sightings is only marginal. The Mark II is performing quite well.

I have left the Amazon basin and headed up the Peruvian highlands. Came across Hummingbirds at about 12,000 feet. It was an amazing sight. Will fit in some travel photography as well to test landscape images on the new body. Heading to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. I brought the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II lens. Little time to keep up with photography news but want to let my readers know the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III will be announced next month, with shipping commencing July, 2016. In addition, the EOS-5D Mark IV is out on field testing and should be announced before Photokina in September.

This new lens will come with the latest Canon optics technology and exceeds the performance of the Series II, which is currently my favorite wide angle zoom glass in the EF lens lineup.

Little time to go through the photos. Below are a few I have processed on the laptop. I have another full year of wildlife photography tours planned for 2017. Leaving for my first trip of 2017 to East Africa for a rendezvous with the Big Five in their early summer. You can follow my travels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, see my equipment bag, upcoming wildlife photo tours and works on MichaelDanielHo.com

Andean Emerald Hummingbird

Pink Dolphin in the Upper Amazon River

Blue & Yellow Macaws over the Amazon

Cut Throat Photography - Red-bellied Piranha

Ringed-Kingfisher crossing the Amazon

What, me worry? Owl Monkeys in Amazonian Jungle

Two-toed Sloth dangling on two toes

Diving bombing Chestnut-eared Aracari

A young Guanaco is called Chulengo

Red-bellied Macaws in the Amazon basin

Almost heaven - Machu Picchu

Green Violet-ear Hummingbird feeding on nectar at 12,000 feet

Sunset on the Upper Amazon River