Mario Michael Vincent Photography

I photograph most of my wildlife subjects “in the wild” however some were shot in zoos, aquariums, and at home (okay, maybe the ones I shot at home don’t really qualify as “wildlife”).  Although it’s easier to take pictures of captive animals in zoos and aquariums, and the photos are still interesting, it’s much more rewarding to capture an animal in its native habitat.   

Perhaps my favorite subjects are insects and their close relationships with flowers.  They’re often so busy being themselves that they don’t notice as I shoot frame after frame.  Others are so wary that it’s rare to catch them standing still long enough to be photographed successfully.  The images most popular with my customers are probably the pictures of rabbits, chipmunks, kittens, puppies, prairie dogs, and woodchucks. 

I’ve been fortunate enough to have had some very cooperative subjects that “sat” for me for long periods of time.  The best examples of this are the Great Egret I photographed at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside, the Red Fox kits and White-tailed Deer at Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Whippany, the Butterflies and Chipmunks at Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit, and the White-tailed Deer at Nomahegan Park in Cranford and at Hartshorne Woods in Highlands.  I was surprised to find that deer are occasionally very curious and will actually step closer to me as I photograph them. 

I invite you to look through all of the Animal albums.  I hope that in addition to capturing the “documentary” portraits that you expect, that I also succeed in surprising you with some unexpected shots.

I also recommend that you visit the locations mentioned in the captions beneath the photos when you view them using the slide show feature.  Surprisingly, many of these venues are free or have a very low admission price.  We found most of these places via Internet searches when our sons were bored and we needed something to do that we would all find entertaining.  Although our sons have outgrown these day trips for the most part, my wife Fran and I visit these places on a regular basis and continue to find them entertaining and full of photo opportunities.