During my one month visit to Cuba I was able to travel the entire island. This was in 2014 before the embargo was finally lifted (yeah I snuck in).  On a morning walkabout around Trinidad I came across Señor Cigar, he was sitting on a bench partly shaded from the sun.  What caught my attention was his interesting face, and the unlit stogie he held in his hands.  In my fractured Spanish, coupled with silly pantomime gestures, I asked permission to take his photo.  This was the result.  You can tell he was a character: the hat, the glasses, the wife-beater T-shirt and of course the hand-rolled cigar. He was having as much fun as I was, and we had a few chuckles during the time I was shooting.  For being such a good sport I tipped him the Cuban equivalent of one U.S. dollar.

This adorable little Sea Lion pup greeted me as I stepped on the beach from the Zodiac.  This then was my welcome to Espanola Island in Galapagos. Only a week old, he showed no fear whatsoever, only an overwhelming sense of curiosity.  He batted my boot with his flipper, he nuzzled my pants leg with his muzzle, and he followed me up and down the beach like a puppy dog.  There is a two metre separation rule in Galapagos, but sometimes it is a rule that is virtually impossible to obey.  Every time I put space between us, he would inevitably waddle his way up to my side again.  That is the magic of Galapagos and its wildlife.  The isolated world of Charles Darwin still exists.

The Amazon rainforest in Ecuador is resplendent with colorful wildlife, none more beautiful than this wild Orange-winged Amazon Parrot.  It took a bit of effort to penetrate this primordial world, ending with a three-hour trip by panga down various convoluted waterways.  The rainforest is alarmingly alive, from the tiniest of insects in their millions to the majesty of the Jaguar, the apex predator supreme.  Photography can be challenging in this sometimes hostile environment, but any effort expended pays off in big rewards.  Like this beautiful portrait of one of the forest’s more colorful residents.

Street Photography demands that you always keep your eyes open and stay vigilant.  Candid moments are often fleeting and gone in an instant, this was such a moment in Quito, Ecuador.  Returning to my hostel late in the morning I spied this young girl feeding the pigeons, her parents were standing outside of the frame.  She had the face of an angel, and her demeanor radiated tranquility.  She was just sitting quietly, occasionally throwing out some bird feed, and serenely watching the ensuing action unfold around her.  I snapped a few quick shots, and came away with this keeper.