All is quiet, except for the sound of doves and guinea fowl in the distance. The sky is bright blue on a winter’s morning.
I am sitting in an underground research bunker in Etosha National Park in Namibia. He approaches from the southeast, ambling like they usually do.
His footfalls are quiet, eerily quiet, like they usually are for these giants. I see the secretion from his temples and down the inside of his hind legs.
He is in musth, an aggravated hormonal state which makes elephant bulls particularly agitated.
The bunker provides protection but you still feel small and powerless when an African Elephant bull gets this close. As he approaches the waterhole he inevitably passes by our bunker.
He sees us, smells us, whatever but he notices us. An indignant shake of the head, and the dust puffs off him.
A deliberate trip of my shutter. I have my image. By the way, I chose the title of this photo long before Taylor Swift had a hit song with that name…
Techs:
Nikon D800
Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 @ 36mm
Kenko PRO Circular Polariser
f11 | 1/200 SS | ISO-900
I hope you have a fabulous day!
Morkel Erasmus
Morkel Erasmus
I used to relish writing these kinds of “bio” pieces and would flaunt the odd impressive word and use dashing grammar to make it sound like I am a boundary-shifting photographer. These days I prefer stating it in much simpler ways, much more relatable ways, much more believable ways… The fact of the matter is this: I love Africa. I love its people, its wild places and its wildlife. I love being immersed in these places, observing and photographing the fall of light on the land and the daily lives of the creatures that call it home, and presenting the results to whoever will take a look. To me, nature photography is all about being in the moment, and capturing that moment in a way that can relate to someone who didn’t have the privilege of being there with me. Sometimes I am able to capture a unique vision of the scene before me, and sometimes I just capture it the way most folks would according to classical photographic guidelines. Yet I always enjoy sharing the images and experiences and imparting the knowledge I have, both in-the-field and later online or in presentations, workshops and courses. I also just simply enjoy capturing and sharing the beauty of God's creation! The greatest thing I’ve found about wildlife and nature photography in Southern Africa is the unity and familiarity of the community of people that share this passion. We come from all walks of life and all cultures and backgrounds, yet our passion for our natural heritage and our dream to see it preserved for future generations binds strangers together and fuels conversations around campfires long after other people have run out of conversation and energy. Join me on a WildEye adventure to experience this sharing community spirit and learn to anticipate that fleeting moment and be ready for it, learn to immerse yourself in the experience without losing focus of your photographic goals…and above all, learn to see Africa anew… because there are none as blind as those who look but do not see!
- Web |
- More Posts(111)
Leave a Reply