Michael Nick Nichols

@michaelnicknichols

Im posting in order of appearance in WILD my retrospective book ... click the link to see how to order
Posts
397
Followers
115k
Following
476
This is WILD It is my best It was done with no purpose other than to be a marker for my time. I did it with no constraints and found a publisher that was willing as long as you and me took care of the cost. Thank you We sold it almost entirely with this Instagram feed. There were a thousand copies printed and I think there is about 200 left. You can still buy thru the website linked in my bio. Im retired live in woods of Virginia with my wife Reba and two cattle dogs and a cat. Im currently cleaning out my studio. It is a mess that I do not want cleaned up by someone else after Im gone. I have finally found something in photography that gives me juice. I bought a monochrome Leica and I photograph my dogs in motion everyday. When I get these digested I will start to post a series that I call “Koudelka’s dogs”.
2,142 109
3 years ago
When I started the posts of my time in the Serengeti, I led with Hildur the Lion lying in the open savanna with a very full belly. He was sleeping off a big meal that was invariably given to him by one of the prides he and C-boy protect. This image is the last in WILD Has Hildur running looking thin and threadbare. He is running toward the scent of a kill that one of his prides has made. I never saw him move like this. We followed him for at least five miles. We stopped before he reached his meal. Hildur Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, 2012 Digital The Short Happy Life of a Serengeti Lion, National Geographic/ from my retrospective book WILD~200 copies left~click on link to see
7,741 122
3 years ago
We would sit with the car parked on the edge of the dry streambed and watch. The new mother had her paws full with the cubs. They were curious and wandered off in mutiple directions. When one of the cubs came closer to the car than the young mother would allow she came up and got the cub with a gentle bite on the scruff of the neck and carried it back to the hideout. We were silent except for the clicking of my camera and it was not acknowledged that we were even there. The whole experience was out of body being transported into a secret world. Barafu pride Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, 2012 Digital The Short Happy Life of a Serengeti Lion, National Geographic/ from my retrospective book WILD~200 copies left~click on link to see
2,983 18
3 years ago
A young female with her first litter, we often found her taking care of six instead of three. She would care for her old mothers cubs as well. We found them everyday in this dry streambed that offered water ( in pools ) and the opportunity to catch a prey animal coming to drink. I was very careful in my approach with the car , we took several days of getting closer until we were right with them. Lions fear little especially if no harm is done , so they are quickly habituated. In this encounter the mother was allowing the cubs to play with her swishing tail. Barafu pride Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, 2012 Digital The Short Happy Life of a Serengeti Lion, National Geographic/ from my retrospective book WILD~200 copies left~click on link to see
1,487 15
3 years ago
We followed 3 other prides that existed in our corner of the park far from tourism. There was a seasonal river that was bordered by woodland that was the home of the Barafu pride. An old female with a young daughter had cubs and we watched as they nursed and raised them. The old female was practically blind and deaf at least is seemed so. She would often loss her cubs but they were always found and cared for by her daughter who was also raising her first litter. This image shows the old female with her cubs paws Barafu pride Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, 2012 Digital The Short Happy Life of a Serengeti Lion, National Geographic/ from my retrospective book WILD~200 copies left~click on link to see
2,691 33
3 years ago
Im known as a wildlife photographer but I hate the tool that every wildlife photographer must master, the telephoto lens. I grew up loving the work of Cartier Bresson whose magic happened on a street corner with a normal point of view. I was never happy using a 600 mm though I did it all the time. I made mediocre images in my opinion and the frustration led me to try anything to get intimacy. Robert Capa said if you images are not good enough you are not close enough. In my case if got too close the subject would run away or just kill you. So I spent my time and National Geographic’s resources on getting the camera close with my body safely somewhere else. Vumbi Pride Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, 2012 Robot Camera Car, Digital The Short Happy Life of a Serengeti Lion, National Geographic/ from my retrospective book WILD~200 copies left~click on link to see
3,068 40
3 years ago
I knew the lions would tolerate a camera in their midst, why I do not know, but I was sure of it. Thus we showed up on assignment with what went from the based on toy, robot camera car to the robot camera tank. After we proved the effacy on the first trip we went back and had @superdroidrobots build the robot tank. This was an awesome tool when it comes to Lions, the social cat. We could clearly show that bonding , that togetherness with just this tool of intimacy. This could not be done with a telephoto lense from the vehicle. We had a tool that could get us close and intimate that allowed us to photograph the Lions sleeping, which is what they did during daylight after working all night Vumbi Pride Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, 2012 Robot Camera Tank, Digital The Short Happy Life of a Serengeti Lion, National Geographic/ from my retrospective book WILD~200 copies left~click on link to see
2,208 19
3 years ago
Following the Vumbi pride for so many consecutive days we saw their hunger manifest in various hunting strategies. They existed in a territory that offered little place to hide, to ambush. They would often spend the day sleeping very near the last water lying in a place that gave cover. In this case the grass was just tall enough to hide them. When we were searching with the radio signal looking across the plain we saw nothing until we were just upon them. They would do this in hopes of prey wandering to the water for a drink. I made the photograph by standing on the roof of my car, which carried the drone that we carried the entire project. I could very carefully move to the top of car and not spook them as long as I was very cautious in my movements. Vumbi Pride Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, 2012 Digital The Short Happy Life of a Serengeti Lion, National Geographic/ from my retrospective book WILD~200 copies left~click on link to see
3,771 23
3 years ago
This is after C-Boy growled at one on the cubs. After this event he was calm and so were the girls. I would say he didn’t growl at the cubs anymore but that would be a lie. It was as if the discipline was enough. C-boy with Vumbi Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, 2012 Digital The Short Happy Life of a Serengeti Lion, National Geographic/ from my retrospective book WILD~200 copies left~click on link to see
2,190 18
3 years ago
C-boy had a rough introduction to his cubs. We were there for these moments as the pride did not allow him or Hildur near the little ones until they had reached an age that made them less vulnerable. To say the females were bit pissy would be an understatement. They were completely protective. C-boy made a gradual entrance, he would first just lay outside the perimeter. He was showing that he could be trusted with the cubs. By being with them everyday and every night we were able to see these subtle interactions that make up the social drama in Lions lives. C-Boy with Vumbi Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, 2012 Robot Camera Tank ,Digital The Short Happy Life of a Serengeti Lion, National Geographic/ from my retrospective book WILD~200 copies left~click on link to see
2,566 19
3 years ago
This Zebra was stolen the night before from the Vumbi Pride or was it given for the protection that C-Boy and Hildur offer for the cubs they have sired? We found C-Boy in the morning guarding the carcass, this continued all day and this image was made as it was getting dark. I was amazed out how it played out. The Vumbi pride was begging to no avail all day and continued into the night. As it got dark the Hyenas showed up at least twenty. They did not challenge , they just circled putting pressure on the situation. C-Boy was undeterred but he did drag the Zebra carcass to a rock that provided protection from the back and sides. He was making a stand for this meal. We left with him crunching away at the bones. C-Boy and Zebra Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, 2012 Robot Camera Tank ,Digital The Short Happy Life of a Serengeti Lion, National Geographic/ from my retrospective book WILD~200 copies left~click on link to see
3,255 42
3 years ago
She was looking into the car from eye level from the rock where she was standing. She could just walk into the vehicle, which had no barrier it was open so I could photograph in any direction. I was concentrating on the rising moon hoping to get an image. I heard the whisper from Nathan and Reba “ Nick Nick Nick, she is “ When the dust up happened it changed her focus. There was dispute involving the cubs and one of the mothers. The collared female and the curious one would rush to solve it just as the moon was rising. I called her the curious one because they all looked the same to me. The researchers used their whiskers to ID them with cards. This was impossible for me, Reba did well with it and could tell them apart. The curious one was consistent she was always into something and very playful with the cubs. It was very important for them to put differences to bed before they went out for the night. They needed teamwork to survive. Vumbui Pride Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, 2012 Digital The Short Happy Life of a Serengeti Lion, National Geographic/ from my retrospective book WILD~200 copies left~click on link to see
2,253 26
3 years ago