motif: Baby Elephant

Posted by Cindy Marple on Mon Sep 08, 2003 9:51 pm

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This baby elephant was only hours old when we came across the family. The guards at a nearby airstrip told us they'd heard the elephants making quite a racket in the predawn hours, obviously celebrating the new arrival. Elephants have an amazing social structure and the family was extremely protective of this newborn. It was one of the most memorable things I saw in Kenya.
Photographed in Samburu park, Canon EOS 3, 300mm f2.8 probably with 2x, beanbag on roof of land rover, sensia. Probably cropped some from the slide. I wish the adult's eye wasn't touching the edge.

Cindy Marple
www.cindymarplephoto.com

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by Kelly on Mon Sep 08, 2003 10:23 pm

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Cindy, I really like how you framed this little one between two adults' trunks, giving the feeling that it is being protected by the adults. I think I might prefer a vertical with the trunks and front legs of the adults, and more of the front adult's eye. But you probably didn't have much time to try various compositions. I can't imagine what it must have been like to witness this in person!

Kelly O'Neill

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by Juli Wilcox on Mon Sep 08, 2003 10:25 pm

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Awwww. Incredible! What an honor to be in their presence. Interesting photo and commentary. The light seems harsh as would be expected, so I am wondering if the highlight point might be reduced in the digital darkroom to bring about a softer light.

[b]Juli Wilcox[/b]
[b]Former Editor in Chief, NSN[/b]

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by Lillian Roberts on Mon Sep 08, 2003 10:31 pm

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This guy is seriously cute! I like the position between the two adults. I too would like to see this vertical, further emphasizing the parallel movement between adult and baby, including the entire head of the adult.

Lillian

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by NDCheryl on Mon Sep 08, 2003 10:31 pm

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Cindy,

I remember how excited you were after this encounter. What a special treat that was for everyone in your vehicle. I think you could crop down from the top enough to lose the adults partial eye so the viewers eye is not drawn to it but I would have been so excited to be shooting this that I would have been looking mostly at the baby too. Thank you for sharing such a special shot with us.

Cheryl Ertelt
http://www.photosphrases.com
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by Dennis Olivero on Mon Sep 08, 2003 10:59 pm

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Cindy this is so darn cute, its hard to come up with words. It made me reflect a minute on a documentary I saw once about people being surrogate parents for baby elephants, parents lost to the poachers.. They are incredible animals and the one on one experience the surrogates had was remarkable, even sleeping in the barn with the baby elephants. Thanks for this post... its a one of a kind I am sure..

[b]Dennis Olivero[/b]
[url=http://www.northernlightnaturephotography.com][b]Northern Light Nature Photography[/b][/url]
NSN 20

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by Cindy Marple on Mon Sep 08, 2003 11:57 pm

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Thanks for the suggestions. I hadn't considered a vertical. I do like this composition although now the foreground oof weed is more distracting. I tried to do a little adjustment but I'm not very skilled with PS adjustments so not sure I accomplished much. This probably was taken before 10am but in the desert the light gets harsh fast!
The family was definitely surrounding the baby to protect him. At one point the group separated a bit. One call and they all came running back and put the baby in the middle of the group.

Cindy Marple
www.cindymarplephoto.com

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by DC on Tue Sep 09, 2003 3:53 am

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Ele's are my absolute favourite african animal, and it's very hard to take a bad picture of them. You were lucky to have been there and you captured the moment very well. I'd take either crop, but do prefer the vertical.

Dave
Some days you're the bug, some days you're the windscreen

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by Alan Melle on Tue Sep 09, 2003 10:26 am

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The vertical repost is a definite improvement. Now all the extraneous info has been removed and the baby (subject) is nicely framed. Very nice image.

Alan Melle
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by chew on Fri Sep 12, 2003 9:42 pm

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I like the first version for the eye and the hugeness of the mother. I like all those wrinkles too.

Chew NSN 0031

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