Elephant Dust

Gallery: WildlifePosted May 12, 2013103 views10 comments

I've been going back to the mountain of unprocessed images from our trip to Mana Pools last year...in 7 weeks I will be leading a group of photographers to this magical place again, and I can't wait!

This was taken late one afternoon as the sun was setting in the Zambezi riverbed. The sky was hazy from fires on the Zambian side. The white shimmer you see behind you is one of the streams of the Zambezi. The dry months sees the river thin out and create large sand banks in the riverbed like you see here.

In processing, I tried to strike a balance between moody silhouette and a hint of detail on the elephant. Curious to know what you think...

Techs:
Nikon D3s
Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II
1.4x teleconverter
f7.1 | 1/1250 SS | ISO-320
Handheld, sitting on the embankment

Comments

10 comments

Comment posted by keith mitchell on May 12, 2013 at 4:24 PM

Morkel I think you achieved the right balance and really captures the atmosphere.

Keith.

Registered on July 12, 2008, 127 Posts, 1735 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on May 12, 2013 at 5:42 PM

Mission accomplished Morkel. I really like way the water sparkles in a horizontal line across the frame, contrasts nicely with the smoky environment. Perfect exposure.

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Suzanne Huot on May 12, 2013 at 8:41 PM

I think you achieved what you went out to do.A very tricky situation .the light from the fires certainly adds to the image.

Registered on December 28, 2010, 32 Posts, 240 Comments

Comment posted by Don Westbrook on May 12, 2013 at 11:47 PM

Funny, when I first saw this image, the word moody popped into my mind before I even read your entry. I would say moody and striking.

Registered on January 4, 2013, 11 Posts, 332 Comments

Comment posted by Martin Dunn on May 13, 2013 at 5:50 AM

Morkel, the whole image has a lovely golden glow about it. I particularly like the way the sun catches the grass in the foreground. The dust adds atmosphere.

Registered on February 20, 2013, 198 Posts, 1011 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on May 13, 2013 at 8:36 AM

Hi Morkel, I like the soft tones and the dust being displaced by the trunk, Have you tried a mid tone adjustment overlay, might be a bit strong as it pushes the colour a bit more overall?

TFS
Steve

Registered on March 25, 2007, 189 Posts, 1064 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on May 13, 2013 at 2:14 PM

This is great, I like being able to barely see details in the elephant, against that warm glowing background and the small cloud of dust around its trunk.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Ingrid Vekemans on May 13, 2013 at 2:40 PM

Dust and twilight...always a good combination - great hand-held shot!
Grt, Ingrid.

Registered on August 2, 2010, 138 Posts, 780 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on May 13, 2013 at 8:26 PM

A Beautiful Silhouette Morkel

I like being able to see detail in the elephant. The backlit dust is a big plus.

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on May 15, 2013 at 2:02 PM

Thank you for the very kind comments, folks

Registered on March 22, 2011, 385 Posts, 2068 Comments