About

While pursuing a degree in Biology at Sacred Heart University in Puerto Rico from 1976 through 1981, Dennis became interested in scuba diving and underwater photography. He became a certified scuba diver and purchased a Nikonos III underwater camera, along with a 28mm lens, a 35mm lens, and an 80mm lens. He later added an Ikelite 150 substrobe underwater flash and a close-up kit. His portfolio consists of hundreds of underwater slides and photos taken in the waters of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Mexico, the Cayman Islands, and Florida. His photographs have appeared in various magazines, almanacs, and books. Dennis’s photography has been featured in advertising campaigns, used in restaurant interiors, and displayed in private residences.

Dennis’s continued passion for photography led him to pursue nature and wildlife photography at every opportunity. His first professional camera was a Minolta SRT 201 35mm, with several lenses and accessories. He later upgraded to a Minolta X-700 35mm camera, equipped with a 50mm lens, a 75–300mm lens, and an 80–200mm lens. As photography equipment became more advanced, Dennis acquired a Minolta Maxxum 7 35mm camera—the first autofocus camera on the market and the last film camera in the Maxxum line to include autofocus. Due to the new autofocus system, he upgraded to compatible lenses, as his older manual-focus lenses were no longer compatible.

When the digital SLR camera was introduced, Dennis embraced the new technology by purchasing a Konica Minolta 7D DSLR. This camera introduced him to the digital photography world and used CompactFlash memory cards, which at the time only supported up to 8GB of storage—limiting the number of photos he could capture in JPEG or RAW format. When Sony acquired Konica Minolta in 2006, they retained the original Minolta lens mount system, allowing users like Dennis to continue using their existing autofocus lenses. Taking advice from reviews in nature photography magazines and websites, Dennis purchased a Sony Alpha a550 DSLR, which uses SDHC memory cards. These higher-capacity cards enabled him to capture more images at higher resolutions than previous storage options allowed.

As Dennis became more familiar with digital photography, he realized that switching between a macro lens and a telephoto lens quickly wasn’t always feasible, especially when photographing wildlife. This led him to acquire a second DSLR camera, allowing him to capture close-range and long-distance subjects without changing lenses. He chose the Sony Alpha a77 DSLR, praised by nature photographers worldwide. One advantage of the A77 is its built-in GPS, which records the date, time, and location of each photo. Another is its built-in telephoto crop mode (1.4x/2.0x), enhancing focal reach.

In the field, Dennis continues to enjoy using both of his Sony Alpha a77 DSLR cameras. He uses his Sony Alpha a550 with a 105mm macro-AF lens to photograph subjects such as butterflies and small creatures up close. For long-range subjects like birds or alligators, he uses two Sony Alpha a77 cameras—one equipped with a 16–300mm AF lens, and the other with either a 200–500mm AF telephoto lens or a 150–600mm AF lens. For general photography, he also uses a 28–300mm AF telephoto lens and an 18–55mm AF wide-angle lens for family or landscape shots. His gear includes multiple flashes, tripods, a monopod, extra memory cards, and various other camera accessories.

These professional-grade cameras and lenses, combined with his decades of experience, allow Dennis to capture breathtaking photographs of nature at its finest. People around the world can enjoy his work by visiting his website, NatureWildlifeWorld.com. His dedication to nature photography spans over 40 years. Dennis Sotolongo’s portfolio reflects deep expertise in nature, wildlife, and scenic photography. His photographs have been taken throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Europe, and the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas. He has received several awards for his work and remains active in the photography community.