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On an early winter morning, I saw the rhino feeding with another rhino. When we got into position, the one rhino moved away and I noticed bird activity around t...
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On an early winter morning, I saw the rhino feeding with another rhino. When we got into position, the one rhino moved away and I noticed bird activity around the rhino. One was sitting on his back and another flew in from the front. Unfortunately, the rhino was killed by poachers three weeks after the photo was taken.
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Mar, 2018Views
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Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 31
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken on a chilli winter's morning on a private game reserve in South Africa. Due to rhino poaching (this rhino was also unfortunately poached less than a month after the photo was taken) the exact location cannot be disclosed.Time
We saw two rhinoes feeding close together and I wanted to photograph them with the steam coming out of their mouths as they were feeding just after sunrise. We were so close that we could hear the animals communicating by making little noises and grunts.Lighting
I wanted to capture the mood of the misty morning with a great subject, to show the rhino in the environment. The rhino was a bit backlit and I did not expose the photo so that the rhino was properly exposed, else the background would have disappeared. By also backliting the feathers, I was able to capture the sunrise through them.Equipment
I used the Nikon D7000 with a Sigma 150-500mm f5.6 lens. The photo was taken handheld.Inspiration
As a self taught photographer I love a variety of subjects, but my "personal training" started with South African wildlife. I heard the birds chirping and getting closer to the rhino. The one bird flew in front of the rhino giving the impression that they might be having a conversation. The misty mood and sunrise was my inspiration for the photo.Editing
The post-processing I did was to straighten the photo, reduce the highligts and open up the shadows. Then I adjusted the exposure a bit. Then I reduced a bit of noise. I also decreased the dehaze to emphasize the mist.In my camera bag
I have upgraded to the Nikon D850 and a Nikkor 200-500mm lens. I also have a Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 and 70-200mm f2.8 lenses when taking wildlife photos. I have used a wide angle lens as well before but removed it as the results were not the greatest for me.Feedback
Go out into the bush or wherever you like to photograph, not just once but a lot and have fun. Go on walking safaris as you never know what you will get. You can drive the same road twice and you will not see exactly the same things. And my best advise is when you see something unfolding in front of you, don't take just 1 or 2 photos, continue photographing until the action has completely finished.
