In addition to shooting dog shows and pets, I like to visit some of the theme parks in the Greater Orlando area and photograph some of the animals on exhibit there. I also visit wildlife refuges and take photos of birds and animals in the wild and then there are the play times of my own dogs and their relatives in my own back yard. Those sessions are always special and always make me smile.

Here are my picks for my best images in this category for 2013. First up my third pick, this gorilla was expressing his dismay at being put in a section of the gorilla exhibit at Disney's Animal Kingdom that was separate from the females and the big Silver Back. He looked more than a little grumpy about it .



My second pick is also from my visit to Animal Kingdom and it is one of the Asian Tigers that are on exhibit there. These magnificent cats are behind glass which is sometimes a challenge to shoot through but I loved this girl's expression and her beautiful eyes.



And lastly, my favorite of the year, my two kids Moxie on the ground and her younger brother, Scampy, playing in the yard. These two run like banshees and will chase each other for hours at a time. They are both in excellent condition. Moxie finished her AKC Championship last year and Scampy has just started his show career but even when they are playing all out, they can stop to show each other a little bit of love.



So, those are my picks for Best Animal Photos. Hope you like them. More categories to come.

Jim

Here is mine! While the wolves were technically at the end of 13, I am counting them as 14 shots. :P Anyway, these two were both taken during our trip to Wyoming this year. The Grizz was in Yellowstone. The Black bear was in Grand Teton. I guess the shot of the black bear is 'the better image' but I really like the composition of the Grizz shot - though I wish the foreground was a bit less cluttered.

One more shot I want to add because it is a portrait. I did this at the Dog Show last year. I love shooting dark dogs on black drops and this guy will definitely be showcased this year.

James,
like both of the bear shots but really like the composition on the Grizz. The Dachshund portrait is lovely. I also love shooting black dogs on black and get lots of opportunities to practice with the Rotties. Very nice.

Jim