Elephant
Aperture f/1.1 ISO 6400 Shutter 11/782 Focal Length 1/4625 
May, 2015Views
12757
Likes
Awards
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 22
People's Choice in The Zoo Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in I Love Photography Photo Contest
Featured
Runner Up in Animal Kingdom Photo Contest Vol 1
Contest Finalist in Animal Kingdom Photo Contest Vol 1
Contest Finalist in Large Mammals Photo Contest
Winner in Elephants Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Exotic Wildlife Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Zootography Photo Contest
People's Choice in Majestic Animal(s) Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Animals Are Beautiful Photo Contest
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Love it
Emotions
Impressed
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Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
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Top 20 rank
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Platinum
MyDeerStudio
August 31, 2015
This photography is just amazing. You should have been the winner of the contest animal are beautiful.
Roach1969
September 15, 2015
Brilliant capture, stunning image. Thank you for entering my challenge :D
nandicmb
September 18, 2015
Congratulations on your People's Choice category win in Majestic Animal(s) Photo Challenge!
Platinum
Platinum
Platinum
Platinum
PRO+
Bazz
June 16, 2016
Congratulations Mike for Runner Up in Animal Kingdom Photo Contest Vol 1 for June, 2016. Well deserved!
PRO+
PRO
Platinum
p_eileenbaltz
February 15, 2018
Amazing image! Congratulations on winning another award for your beautiful work.
PRO+
Bazz
February 15, 2018
Congratulations on your People's Choice Win in the Zoo Photo Challenge for February , 2018. Well deserved.
Platinum
Platinum
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South CarolinaTime
It was Christmas Eve day 2013 and since I was off from work I decided to take a trip to the zoo. It was just after 11:00 a.m. when I walked up to the elephants and started shooting.Lighting
The sun was shining brightly on this particular morning which allowed me to capture the details in the skin. The elephant was in bright sunshine and the tusk and ear cast very stark, clean shadows. Every fold and crease in the skin was accentuated with shadows. Luckily the elephant was up against a fairly dark background which made processing the image to its finished product much easier.Equipment
This shot was taken hand held using a Canon T3i with a Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS lens with a UV filter. Focal length was 116mm, 1/2500 sec., f/18 with and ISO of 6400 and no flash.Inspiration
I have always been drawn to elephants. They seem to possess a wisdom that is beyond our understanding. When I look at them in a zoo I see both intelligence and profound sadness. It is almost as if they realize what it is that man is doing and has done to their species throughout the years. It is that sadness that I see that inspired me to make this photo as dark as it is even though it was shot in broad daylight.Editing
My post-processing technique is relatively simple. I use a combination of Lightroom and Photoshop to do all of my editing and the process I follow for each picture always begins in Lightroom. I'm a huge fan of both the "dehaze" and "clarity" features in Lightroom and use them a lot. To achieve the desired result I also tweaked the shadows and highlights and applied a small amount of noise reduction. Once I had the elephant looking the way I wanted I applied some vignette using Lightroom to darken the corners. Additionally, there were a few pieces of hay and dirt on the elephant's skin that really showed in the RAW photo so I cleaned those up in Photoshop using the Clone Stamp tool.In my camera bag
My bag always had my Canon T3i with Canon EF 70-300mm attached in easy reach (the Canon 55-250mm is now my back-up lens), along with two other Canon lenses (EFS 18-55mm & EFS 10-18mm). Additionally I usually carry my Sony ILCE-6000 with a Sony 16-50mm & Sony 55-210mm lens.Feedback
First and foremost, if you camera has the capability to shoot RAW format use it! ALWAYS!! It allows for so much more flexibility when it comes to post-processing. I look at the RAW file and think of it in much the same way I imagine a sculptor views a piece of marble. The RAW file has all the potential in the world, it's up to me draw it out. Other than that the advice I give most frequently when talking to new photographers is to look at your viewfinder as a picture frame. Try not to have anything in the viewfinder that you wouldn't want to frame and put on your wall. I know that isn't always possible so I always advise making a duplicate copy of the original RAW file. Keep it safe. With the other one, play around. Don't feel as if you have to follow someone else's rules or process. Lightroom is very forgiving software. There isn't an adjustment or change you make that can not be undone so feel free to explore and experiment. In the end, follow what you want, not what you think someone else wants to see. Over time you will perfect a work flow that suits you and your individual style and it will become second nature. Photography is fun so just go shoot and have fun!
