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see how fast those eagles will come in.’ Within 15 seconds this eagle came
flying down. It came in so fast, and it was so big — I almost didn’t have
enough space to get the shot.” (See this magnificent image on the opening
spread.)
Another challenge with wildlife photography can be the fleeting nature
of the subjects. For instance, when Castroverde traveled to the Falkland
Islands off the coast of South America to photograph penguins, he felt
saddened that many of the gentoo penguin chicks would not survive to full
maturity.
“One of the tough parts about photographing wildlife is predation,”
Castroverde confesses. “Only a very small percentage of these chicks will
make it to adulthood because of predator birds. You want to protect them,
but it’s nature — you can’t do anything about it.”
Wildlife photography also requires a love of adventure. Castroverde
recalls a time when he snapped a Steller’s sea eagle while on a boat
jammed into the pack ice on the frozen sea in Hokkaido, Japan. He
climbed onto the boat’s second story to achieve a remarkable vantage
point.
“I get to explore interesting places,” he says. “Sometimes you’re going
places the typical person doesn’t dare venture to.”

Patience Makes Perfect
For aspiring wildlife photographers, Castroverde first recommends
getting a quality camera, as the point-and-shoot variety won’t work well
Northern Crested Caracara
on moving subjects in less-than-optimal conditions. “It’s not like a portrait
studio where the environment is controlled,” he cautions.

Tricolored Heron

The White House Christmas tree arrives by carriage.
Photo by Kathryn DiFrancesco.

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