New Photos From the Peruvian Amazon

The Peruvian Amazon is one of those places that leaves me in awe every time I return. In Madre de Dios, mornings began with the booming calls of red howler monkeys as macaws streaked overhead in brilliant flashes of red and green. I’d line up a shot of a hoatzin wobbling on a branch or a rufescent tiger heron poised by the water, but more often than not, I caught myself just watching—completely absorbed in the energy of the forest.

The rivers carried their own magic. One morning, a pair of giant otters surfaced so close I could hear them breathing before they slipped beneath the water. Spectacled caimans sunned themselves on muddy banks, while kingfishers and terns darted and dived with incredible speed. Even the butterflies demanded attention, and short-lined kite swallowtail offered up an opportunity for abstraction.

Photographing in Madre de Dios isn’t about one perfect image—it’s about honoring a place where nature still thrives in abundance! Enjoy the photos – and while I don’t currently have a trip to South America on the calendar, I am leading a tour in Tanzania this coming January and have a few spots remaining to join us for the Wildebeest calving season!