The Wild New York 2027 Calendar is officially on its way—and this year marks eleven calendars, countless memories, and a new chapter in my art of discovery.
Where It Started
In 2017, I was looking for something. A creative outlet, I guess, and a way to expand what I was already doing with photography.
I had been working professionally as a photographer since 2014, and I started by photographing people in New York City. That work had me spending a lot of time in the parks, especially Central Park.
And something started to happen.
While I was photographing people, I began noticing the flowers around me. Then the landscapes. And eventually, the wildlife.
The birds especially caught my attention. They were majestic, sometimes breathtaking, and I found myself paying more and more attention. I started photographing them, learning about them and building a collection of images that was taking my photography in a direction I hadn’t expected.
I was discovering something that had been around me all along.
But I wanted to do something more with those photographs. I didn’t want to just share them on social media and move on to the next one. I wanted to give them a purpose. I wanted to create something.
That’s how Wild New York began.
I hoped that first calendar would sell, of course, but there are no guarantees when you create something and put it out into the world. Sometimes, though, I think that’s when you get the most satisfaction. You put the work into something because you believe in it, and then you see where it takes you.
I certainly wasn’t thinking about what calendar number eleven would look like.
Yet here we are.
Wild New York 2027 is my eleventh calendar.
And somehow, after all these years, I still get that same excitement. I can be walking through a park thinking I know what’s around me, turn a corner, and suddenly all those preconceptions go right out the window.
Maybe that’s what has kept me doing this for all these years.
The art of discovery.
Around the Corner
And sometimes discovery really is as simple as turning a corner.
That’s exactly what happened with the photograph on the cover of Wild New York 2027.
It was a hot day, and I was walking near the Harlem Meer in Central Park. I rounded a corner, and there it was—a Double-crested Cormorant.
There are moments in wildlife photography when everything else seems to disappear. The bird may be perfectly calm, but my heart certainly isn’t. Even after all these years of doing this, I still get that rush. I hope I never lose it.
What struck me about this cormorant was the detail. The markings around its beak and those incredible eyes. The texture of the feathers. When I looked at the photograph afterward, it felt like you could see almost every feather.
And I knew there was something special about it.
Eventually, that photograph became the cover of my eleventh calendar.
But when I look at it now, I don’t just see the photograph.
I remember the day.
And that’s true of so many of the photographs in this year’s calendar. Each one brings me back to a place, a moment, the weather, sometimes the person I was with, and what it felt like to be there.
They aren’t just twelve photographs I chose for a calendar.
They’re twelve memories.
The Memories Behind the Photographs
Some of those memories are dramatic. Others are quiet. But when I look at the photographs, I can almost put myself right back there.
One of them takes me immediately to the Hudson River on a bitterly cold winter day. There were ice floes on the river, and immature Bald Eagles were coming out to fish. I can still remember that freezing wind hitting my face as I watched these incredible birds standing on the ice and taking in everything around them.
I was cold. Really cold. But when you’re watching something like that through the camera, somehow it doesn’t matter quite as much. Seeing that interaction made it worth being out there.
Then there are the quieter moments.
One warm, sunny day in Central Park’s North Woods, I came across a raccoon high in a tree. It was just relaxing in the sun, its eyes barely open, almost like it had decided to take the day off.
I’ve spent so much time in Central Park that I’ve learned something else along the way. Wildlife has favorite places, too. You start to recognize certain trees and certain areas. You learn where you’ve seen an animal before, and sometimes, if you’re patient enough, you find it there again.
And then there are the moments that make me wonder how anyone could possibly miss what’s happening.
At the Harlem Meer, I’ve watched Ospreys circle overhead while people sit on nearby benches reading or looking down at their phones. The Ospreys are searching the water, and then suddenly one dives.
Smack!
It hits the water with such force that the water flies into the air. I’ve seen people sitting nearby get splashed and look around wondering who threw water at them.
Meanwhile, an Osprey is coming out of the Meer carrying a fish.
It’s breathtaking to watch the power of those wings as the bird lifts away from the water with its lunch.
It’s a joy for everyone.
Well, except for the fish.
And I think moments like that have taught me one of the simplest lessons from all these years of photographing wildlife:
Sometimes you just have to look up.
More Than Taking the Photograph
Over the years, I’ve learned that wildlife photography is as much about patience and paying attention as it is about the camera.
Sometimes it’s a dramatic moment like an Osprey crashing into the water. Other times, it’s something much smaller.
There was an escaped parakeet living in Central Park for a while. When I went to photograph it, I got down close to the ground and waited. Eventually, it came toward me as it searched for food. I was able to capture a portrait where you can really see the beautiful colors and details around its eye.
Then there are those split seconds when you happen to look up at exactly the right moment. A Yellow-rumped Warbler getting ready to take off. A Ruby-throated Hummingbird beating its wings faster than you can really comprehend. A young Red-tailed Hawk tilting its head and looking back at me with so much personality that I almost feel like it’s looking right into me.
You never really know what’s going to be there.
And taking the photograph is only part of creating Wild New York.
Choosing the final twelve is more like a marathon than a race. I can think I’ve made my choices, put everything together and then start changing my mind. I look at how the photographs work with one another, the colors, the different species, the behaviors and the feeling of the calendar as a whole.
I’ll switch photographs right up until the last minute. I’ve even gone out just before sending a calendar to the printer, taken a photograph that really speaks to me and thought, that’s it. That has to be in there.
Finally seeing those twelve photographs together gives me a tremendous sense of pride.
Not simply, look what I accomplished.
It’s also, look what I get to share.
Because after eleven calendars, I think I understand something better than I did when I started.
The photograph may begin with my experience, but once I share it, it doesn’t belong only to that moment anymore. Someone might see it hanging in their kitchen or office months later and stop for a few seconds. Maybe it makes them smile. Maybe it gives them a moment of peace. Or maybe it makes them curious enough to go outside and discover something for themselves.
That’s the gift.
And this year, I realized something else.
Twelve photographs weren’t going to be enough.
I Couldn't Keep It Bottled Up Anymore
Over the years, Wild New York has always been about discovering what is around us. But my own world of discovery has gotten bigger.
This year especially, I had the opportunity to photograph wildlife beyond New York. Yellowstone. Palm Springs. Florida. Wildlife refuges, national parks and places where I sometimes couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing through my camera.
And when I came home, I started telling friends about these experiences.
They kept asking me the same thing:
When are we going to see the pictures?
People who knew my New York photography were telling me that they rarely got to see the work I was creating on these trips.
And the truth is, I was proud of it.
I was especially proud of some of the photographs I was making of Black Bears. I could see how much I had grown as a photographer. I was capturing wildlife in ways that challenged me, excited me and made me want to keep pushing myself.
Eventually, I realized I couldn’t keep it bottled up anymore.
I wanted to share it.
I’ve created a special companion calendar before with Birds of Prey: New York. But this time I wanted to do something different. I wanted to take the spirit of Wild New York and follow it beyond New York.
So for 2027, I’m excited to introduce:
Wild Beyond New York
This isn’t about leaving Wild New York behind. New York is where this journey began, and it remains at the heart of my photography.
Wild Beyond New York is about taking that same curiosity somewhere new.
The wildlife may be different. The landscape may change. But that feeling when I come around a corner and suddenly discover something I wasn’t expecting?
That’s exactly the same.
The Gift of Discovery
When I started Wild New York in 2017, I couldn’t have imagined that eleven calendars later I’d be introducing two calendars for 2027.
But maybe I understand a little better now why I keep doing it.
Photography gives me a reason to slow down. To look around. To listen. To pay attention to details. For a few moments, everything else that’s going on in life can disappear.
It’s just me and whatever is happening in front of me.
That’s a gift.
And when I make a photograph, I get the chance to share a little piece of that moment with someone else.
I love knowing that these calendars end up hanging in people’s kitchens, offices and homes for an entire year. Someone might be rushing around one morning, glance at a photograph and stop for just a few seconds.
Maybe they smile.
Maybe they’re curious.
Maybe it gives them a moment of peace.
Or maybe the next time they’re outside, they pay a little more attention to what’s around them.
That’s what I hope both of these calendars do.
I hope they bring some excitement, happiness and curiosity into your year. I hope they remind you that there is still so much to discover, whether it’s across the country or right outside your own door.
Slow down.
Look around.
Listen.
And every once in a while, look up.
You never know what’s waiting around the corner.
And never forget that each of us can make a difference.
See you birding,
Dennis
Preorders Are Now Open!
Wild New York 2027 and Wild Beyond New York 2027 are officially at the printer, and preorders are now open.
As a special thank-you for ordering early, every 2027 calendar preorder includes a FREE 2027 Wildlife Calendar Magnet. I’ve created four different designs, and your complimentary magnet will be selected as a surprise.
Choose your calendar below and be among the first to receive the 2027 editions when they arrive.
Journey beyond New York with twelve wildlife moments captured during my travels across the country. Limited 2027 edition.
2027 Collections & Gift Sets
Looking for both calendars or something special to give as a gift? I’ve also created a few 2027 collections, including a two-calendar set, a calendar and greeting card gift set, and the Complete 2027 Wildlife Calendar Collection with both calendars and all four calendar magnets.
Free U.S. shipping is included, and special preorder bonuses are available with select collections.