Elephant mating 3

Gallery: WildlifePosted September 14, 2016236 views12 comments

In January this year my friend and I have been to Masai Mara and on the last 2 days we decided to go to Amboseli to see if we can find something interesting with the elephants. Our trip did pay results. We were able to see this Elephant mating in the morning or day two.

Camera 5D III lens 200/400 mm at f/8 shutter speed of 1/1600 sec and `iso 400.

Please do put in your comments.

Comments

12 comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on September 15, 2016 at 8:47 AM

Can't comprehend why there are no comments here! This is an exceptional image.
Love that all the tusks are intact, rather than some broken off. Excellent detail in the skin.
There are some shadows underneath that might be lightened up a touch, and it's a bit tight in the frame, IMO. .
Great sky, too.
The gazelles around the tail are distracting and might be cloned out with care,
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Hussain Nalwala on September 15, 2016 at 9:38 AM

Thanks Sandy for your comments.

I am re posting with the correction of cloning the gazelles. Sorry there is no place as I was using my 500mm lens and I could not do anything in that.

Registered on April 18, 2011, 298 Posts, 339 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on September 15, 2016 at 9:18 PM

Nice improvement!
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on September 15, 2016 at 9:35 PM

I like the repost best. One pleasing detail that catches my eye is how the line of her upraised trunk flows sinuously into the S curve of his trunk. Yes, I agree with Sandy, that he has great tusks!

Adding this observation upon later inspection: A subtle but effective composition enhancement is provided by the wisps of background clouds (or perhaps rising dust?) that create a sense of sense of three broad white lines radiating from or to the mating pair. Perhaps using the elephants at the center of such radiating lines also helps make the somewhat centered composition work well.

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Hussain Nalwala on September 15, 2016 at 10:01 PM

Thanks Sandy and Lon for your comments.

Registered on April 18, 2011, 298 Posts, 339 Comments

Comment posted by Ingrid Vekemans on September 17, 2016 at 6:52 AM

Amboseli is always much better for elephants than the Mara and you were extra lucky! What a great moment - very nicely captured!

Grt, Ingrid.

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

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on September 18, 2016 at 6:50 AM

This is an excellent photo Hussain! He's certainy passing on some good tusker genes :)
I don't find the gazelles distracting at all - these plains are certainly not devoid of life and this photo shows it. Then again, I never use the clone tool on natural history images.

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

Comment posted by Jerry Austin on September 20, 2016 at 10:07 AM

Very nice. I too like the repost. I agree with Morkel that the gazelles are not a distraction. Must have been an amazing sight.

Registered on January 6, 2012, 651 Posts, 3448 Comments

Comment posted by Max Waugh on September 20, 2016 at 4:41 PM

My favorite part of this image is the sense of scale. I like that it shows how truly massive some of those bull elephants can get.

Max

Registered on September 26, 2008, 428 Posts, 2329 Comments

Comment posted by Mario Moreno on September 24, 2016 at 11:57 AM

Excellent behavior captured . . . Congrats on the Editor's Pick <div id="myEventWatcherDiv" style="display:none;"> </div>

Registered on January 24, 2012, 163 Posts, 369 Comments

Comment posted by Hussain Nalwala on September 24, 2016 at 3:00 PM

Thank you Ingrid, Morkel, Jerry, Max and Mario for your lovely comments. This mating was just not expected. It happened all of a sudden and was for just a few minutes.

Registered on April 18, 2011, 298 Posts, 339 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on October 1, 2016 at 12:51 PM

Congrats on the WP - a very fine image, especially the re-post.
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments