If you missed on on getting your hands on these reference photos through my Patreon membership in the past, have no fear, because you can get them here!! Join now to not miss out on getting exclusive monthly content going forward!! https://patreon.com/DolphinSoulCreations
 
February might have a particular day that's all about love, but honestly I love animals All Year Long!! This month you get your hands on some very unique ones to create masterpieces that all will fall head over heels for!
Feb 1st is SERPENT DAY!
National Serpent Day is celebrated to raise awareness of snakes and other serpents. The day also aims to dispel myths and educate people about the important role snakes play in the ecosystem. I know many are afraid of snakes, but there is nothing to fear in this photo and you are free to Not download it. For those that are absolutely mesmerized by their beautiful scales and movement, then these are the photos for you, esp with all the shadowing and positions! I have included 2 photos of Emerald Tree Boas! I loved how they were laying opposite of each other and I had to zoom in to get all those details of the one facing us! They are non-venomous, arboreal snakes that coil up on tree branches during the day to avoid being seen by predators with their cryptic coloration that helps them blend in with the trees!
Feb 2nd is WORLD WETLANDS DAY!
I knew the exact photo I wante d to showcase for the wetlands that I took at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive!! These Gallinules can walk on water when they are trying to get away from a suitor! The full photo when you download actually shows leaves, lots of water, and the mate being left in the splash zone! So you have different actions to attempt to recreate!
Feb 13th is LOVE HORNBILLS DAY!
This is a gorgeous male Von Der Decken's Hornbill! Talk about a mouth full of a name, but wait till you find out the full name of the guy that first wrote about them in his journal while exploring in Eastern Africa... The German Explorer, Baton Karl Kalus von der Decken! These are some of the smallest members of the Hornbill family! Males you can tell by their distinctive red two-tone bill, where the females are all black! I photographed his handsome fella at Busch Gardens in Tampa!
Feb 15th is NATIONAL HIPPO DAY!
The hippopotamus aka Hippo is one of the most misunderstood animal as even though they seem to just lay around or float along, they can be extremely unpredictable, making it one of the most dangerous mammal in Africa. Hippos are territorial and will charge at humans or other animals that get too close to their territory, but will give signs to back off long before exerting all of their energy to charge!  They are the third-largest living land mammal, after elephants and white rhinos while being herbivores, meaning they eat only vegetation. Hippos are semi-aquatic mammals which means that they live in both water and land! This guy was photographed at Busch Gardens, Tampa! Oh one more Crazy fact, the closest living relatives are whales!! Which brings us to our next month highlight.....
Feb 19th is WORLD WHALE DAY!
My favorite whale is of course Orcas! I saw this photo when I was looking through old albums and even though it's a little out of focus and not perfect, it already looks like a watercolor painting! I did not edit this....this is how my settings and lighting were for that day! I wouldn't mimic the reflections in the face exactly, but def the light and shadows are brilliant to recreate! This was taken at Sea World Orlando. My bucket list photo is to photograph them and many other marine life in the wild!
Remember that the photos I provide you are for PERSONAL USE ONLY!

Please do not share my image to anyone else or post on social media! Really appreciate if you let them know where you got the photo, so they can join in on the fun on this Patreon channel as well!

If you create any artwork using my photography, please tag me at #dolphinsoul_creations and post in our Discord Channel! Absolutely love to see your work!! Thank you