Zambezi Bath Time
Upstream from the world famous Victoria Falls, in the afternoons you will find herds and groups of elephants coming to the river to slake their thirsts and enjo...
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Upstream from the world famous Victoria Falls, in the afternoons you will find herds and groups of elephants coming to the river to slake their thirsts and enjoy a refreshing bath.
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Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Aperture 9/1 ISO 800 Shutter 1/800 Focal Length 186/1 
Victoria Falls, , ZW
Apr, 2022Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
On a sunset cruise, upstream from the Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe/ Zambia border.Time
One of our favorite things to have our guests do is to start their safari in the relative luxury and comfort of the Victoria Falls before heading into the bush. Most international flights arrive at lunch time and we advise our guests to have a shower and then take a cruise, trying to stay awake and assimilate at the pace of the river. The cruise usually leaves at 4pm returning at 6:30pm, cold beverages and snacks are part of the deal, and what a way to spend the first evening, watching elephants cavort like little kids in the bathtub.Lighting
The Zambezi river runs west-east so staying upstream of any elephant crossing is a must, the sunset cruise boats are generally large enough not to worry about rocking or movement so a decent ISO and shutter speed are easy to achieve.Equipment
Canon 7D MkII, 100-400mm lens, shooting off a bean bag, you can get pretty close to the elephant, probably 80 yards and as the sun had not set a tripod was not necessary.Inspiration
Elephant always love the water, and I especially love how dark their skins are wen wet. I tried to capture the sheer joy and playfulness of this group of bachelor bulls.Editing
A little cropping and lowering the highlight was really all I needed to do.In my camera bag
Spare batteries and SD CARDS! Have twice missed the photo opportunities of a lifetime due to poor planning. As a guide I am usually totally focused on my guests, but if I have the opportunity to go out myself I carry two cameras, I hate switching lenses as there is usually a ton of dust in the air in Africa, one has my long lens 100-400mm the other a 24-105mm. I also have a small mosquito net, sun block, bug spray, first aid kit. For cleaning my camera and lens a few soft cloth's, air blower and soft brush. Snack bars and water are a must, you never know how long you will be out there sometimes, hate to miss something.Feedback
Get to the boat early, get a seat on the front of the boat, practice on inanimate objects as you move so you can get the right settings pre dialed in. Enjoy, have a cold G&T, smile and don't forget to look up and around instead of fixating on one shot. There may be something nobody else has seen!
