majestic elephant
the reason I chose to take this picture in black and white was to highlight the texture of elephant hide. It's quite course with deep ridges marking it and...
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the reason I chose to take this picture in black and white was to highlight the texture of elephant hide. It's quite course with deep ridges marking it and it's portrayed very nicely by the black and grey colours.
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Jan, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken just after New Year's in the Masai Mara national park, in south-western Kenya. Our hotel was actually situated next to the Mara River and so we got excellent shots of the elephants and wildebeest who came to the river.Time
This is probably one of my favourite images from the trip. I remember it being ridiculously hot in the afternoon as he headed out from the hotel for the game drive. The photo was taken somewhere between 4-5 pm. I remember the urgency to take this picture! Elephants usually move in packs or single file lines and the elephant pictured was running behind to catch up with the others. As I took the photo, I was hoping the image didn't come out to be blurred.Lighting
Being a sunny afternoon, there was plenty of natural light. I wanted to give the photo a very authentic look, so that is why I didn't use any other extra lighting.Equipment
At this point, I did not have any other equipment except for my SONY DSC-HX1 with a 5-100 mm lens. This was actually a camera borrowed from the art department in my school as my parents had been reluctant to buy me a camera as I was only fourteen. It's just been a few day that I've received my first camera- a Nikon D5500 with an 18-300mm lens and I cannot wait to start using it!Inspiration
I love the serene, but majestic nature of elephants. Growing up in Kenya, we've always been taught about the importance and the beauty of the elephant and that poaching was cruel and unnecessary. The photo was taken a few months before the ivory burning and it helps to highlight the fact that elephants are worth more alive.Editing
As i mentioned before, I wanted to keep the photo very natural and authentic. I decided to use a black and white filter as it helped to contrast the course elephants hide to the smoothness of the background behind it. For an added effect, I blurred out the background so the elephant stood out more. Personally, I think the facial features of the elephant become clearer with a black and white filter.In my camera bag
While takin this picture, the only equipment I had was the SONY DSC-HX1. However, I plan on making use of my new camera and I hope to buy a tripod soon, which will aid in preventing blurry photos while taking pictures of moving objects.Feedback
The number one skill to have is patience. One must remember that this is the wild and that the wild doesn't obey anyone. I had to wait two hours to come across a herd of elephants and 50 shots later, I found the perfect elephant to photograph in perfect motion. Another thing to keep in mind is to be alert. These animals move very quickly, so it is important to be prepared. Another important factor is respect- it is important to be quiet as if the animals get scared, they may lash out dangerously or run away. The best time to visit the Masai Mara National Park is during the migration season from late June to October where you can see herds of animals crossing the river. Hope that helps!
