Mt. Kilimanjaro emerges from the clouds, just as this mom and baby step into the scene.
© 2019 Diane Kelsay
It’s always nice when such a majestic animal arrives in great light to complete your landscape composition. OK, I had the driver/guide move forward, then back, then a little forward… Depth of field and lining things up “just so” was important.
Amboseli National Park, Kenya
© 2019 Diane Kelsay
It’s fun to catch elephants at the waterhole. Fast shutter speeds captured the drops and splashes of water.
Baby elephant
©Bob Harvey
© 2018 Diane Kelsay
© 2018 Diane Kelsay
And they do love water. They also like to add dust and/or mud after cleaning up in the water. That helps control the insects.
© Diane Kelsay
© Diane Kelsay
© 2019 Diane Kelsay
Rubbing up against a muddy wall – a mud massage.
© 2019 Diane Kelsay
How great they look after their mud bath. And not so much appeal to insects.
© 2018 Diane Kelsay
It’s nice to combine all sizes, showing various stages of maturity. A panorama crop omits the boring parts of the scene and brings to attention the parade of different sizes.
Elephants crossing the dry lakebed, Amboseli National Park, Kenya. The water behind them is a mirage.
© 2019 Diane Kelsay
But what can be cuter than a tiny baby dwarfed by the size of adults next to the baby. This strategy of enclosing the baby is done to protect them, but it gives a chance to create unusual and artistic photos. You don’t have to always show the whole animal, try some tight crops. In these photos, the tight crops emphasize the size of the adult legs and the smallness of the babies while making creative compositions.
© 2019 Diane Kelsay
© Bob Harvey
Elephants along the banks of the Chobe River.
© 2018 Bob Harvey
An early morning stroll. They look very content.
© 2019 Diane Kelsay
Taking the time to learn about the animals, as well as watching their behavior, will help capture interesting images. Join us on one of our Africa trips and we will spend time helping you choose the right settings and suggest compositions.