Enormity by the River
Elephant herd on the banks of the Chobe River in Botswana. Image captured with Nikon D300 in the late afternoon sun, from a boat in the river....
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Elephant herd on the banks of the Chobe River in Botswana. Image captured with Nikon D300 in the late afternoon sun, from a boat in the river.
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Nov, 2017Views
615
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Colossal Wildlife Photo Contest
Peer Award
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Superb Composition
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Top 10 rankTop 30 rank week 1Categories
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken from a flat boat in the Chobe River in Namibia. Herds of elephant periodically crossed back and forth across the river, affording visitors unique opportunities to see elephants from below, a unique perspective. The prominent elephant was gazing intensely at the boat, showing interest but no aggression.Time
This image was captured in late afternoon light as the boat pulled away from the shore. The light provided a pink undertone to the scene.Lighting
The side lighting provided by a setting sun provided more dramatic lighting and shadows, especially from the lower perspective of the boat.Equipment
Image captured with a Nikon D300 with a Wimberly mount bolted to the floor of the boat and a 600 mm lens.Inspiration
I loved this perspective on the majestic elephant, which looked even more majestic when viewed from the low angle afforded by the boat.Editing
Very little post processing was done. A bit of sharpening and contrast enhancement, as I recall.In my camera bag
I am a Nikon shooter. Currently, I travel with the Nikon D850 (full frame) and 750 (cropped 4:3), as well as a 150-600mm lens, a 200/500mm lens, a 70/200 lens, and a 14/24 lens. I use a Really Right Stuff tripod and bullhead when doing landscape or nighttime photography, but don't use a tripod for wildlife shooting where I usually need a lighter lens for hand holding. In this instance, I was with a group that supplied Wimberly mounts for camera while in the flat boats.Feedback
When photographing wildlife, always look for behavioral stances to suggest movement and action. Portraiture is fine, but wildlife should suggest behavior and action. Try to shoot in the early morning or late afternoon to capture light in the eye of any wildlife image. Look for good contrast, such as afforded by a blue sky and dark elephant hide. Use the landscape to support the image, but let the wildlife drive the content.
