A Delicate Balance, a photo from Rift Valley, West

Photographer's Note

Like many places on earth, Amboseli has a finely tuned ecosystem and one which plays host to an amazing variety of wildlife. As a lover of elephants I was thrilled to see such large herds. The pair pictured here is enjoying the fresh water and grasses of one of the swamps in the park.

The swamps and springs provide the permanent watering places for the park's animals, are fed by underground rivers created by the melting snows of the Kilimanjaro. A cause of concern is that, due to global warming the snows of Kilimanjaro are melting at an increased pace and may disappear altogether. One wonders what this will mean for the elephants.

Meanwhile, by some freak of nature, the changing climatic conditions of the park, the rising water table and an accompanying increase in soil salinity have combined to create the large expanses of desert.

Increasing numbers of elephants, thanks to conservation and a plus for elephant conservationists, is not such a great thing for the park.

The pachyderms which have been drawn in great numbers to the park by the protective sanctuary of the swamps and marshes, have in their wake wreaked havoc on the little vegetation there was, uprooting and/or pulling down trees.

In recognition of this factor interested parties have come together in probably what is the most ambitious project of its sort in Kenya. The aim of the Amboseli Reforestation Project as the name implies, is to reclaim the dry empty plains by planting trees on them. One million acacia and other indigenous tree species are to be planted during the next 30 to 50 years.

This photograph is copyright of Rosemary Walden - © Rosemary Walden 2013. All rights reserved. Any redistribution or reproduction of the image in any form is prohibited. You may not, except with my express written permission, copy, reproduce, download, distribute or exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system

williewhistler, timecapturer, snunney, Romano46, siudzi, Noel_Byrne, marina7, Sonata11, jjcordier, Royaldevon, annjackman, tyro, marabu61, krzychu30, bayno, maloutim has marked this note useful

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timecapturer (30226) 2013-03-10 4:57

Hi Rosemary
the ivory trade is topical at the moment and one wonders how much longer these fine animals will be around for us to capture in such beautiful images like this. I think I have told you before how much these animals fascinated me as a child, to see them in the wild must be inspiring. They stand out so magnificently in this glorious setting. Immaculate execution as always and a beautiful presentation.

Enjoy your Sunday - regards Brian.

snunney (67228) 2013-03-10 5:01

Hello Rosemary,
A charming capture of this pair of magnificent creatures in the wild where they belong, though who knows for how much longer as Brian says. The image is well lit and has a pleasing layered effect to it. Very good colours and clarity.

williewhistler (7229) 2013-03-10 5:05

Hello Rosemary,how lucky you were to come upon this magnificent pair,to be able to view them in such lush open surroundings must be most memorable.
It`s a lovely Natural history shot,sharp and clear with what appears to be a heron included to add to its charm.
I also enjoy your most informative note.
Kindest regards Les.

Romano46 (4764) 2013-03-10 5:13

Ciao Rosemary
le tue immagini dell'Africa, un continenete poco presente in TE, sono sempre molto ben fatte e ci portano in varie località particolarmente a sud dell'equatore.
Anche questa nel Parco dell'Amboseli mi piace per l'estrema nitidezza e l'ottimo colore, monchè perchè hai ripreso due elefanti - soggetto non facile, anzi spesso pericoloso - in un momento di calma quasi avessero deciso di posare per il tuo obiettivo
Brava
Ciao e buona domenica
Romano

howladersourav (214) 2013-03-10 5:18

Hello Rosemary

I'm very delighted that you share such a wonderful capture with us. I love photographs of wild animals.

Have a nice day

regards
sourav

Sergiom (39122) 2013-03-10 5:28

Bonjour Rosemary

On dirait un vieux couple en amour qui prend une marche.Le cadrage est excellent et laisse de l'espace devant eux. Une grande netteté à 260mm. Le vert ajoute une touche d'espoir à l'ensemble.

Amicalement

Serge

siudzi (23837) 2013-03-10 5:30

Hi Rosemary,
Wow! What a fantastic shot taken with extremely good saturation effect and sharpness result. Amazing how wonderfully the animals look here on this green area. Perfectly taken image. Very well done.

Best,
Gosia

Noel_Byrne (7259) 2013-03-10 7:31

Hi Rosemary,
Really excellent capture of these majestic and sombre looking animals, and an inspiring note too. Its nice to know that some people are trying to make the natural world a better place by retoring some damage done, and when you see a classic nature shot like this, its easy to see the importance.
The grasslands are very lush indeed, and the plain looks vast in the face of those far distant mountains.
Thanks for a great shot and a great note.
All the best
Noel

marina7 (5804) 2013-03-10 10:21

Hi Rosemary,
wonderful shot and title. Spot on. High quality picture, it's sharp, well-composed and the delicate colors are so attractive. Thanks and best wishes
Marina

Sonata11 (28235) 2013-03-10 16:12

Hello Rosemary,
very impressive and very beautiful capture of those two elephants whaich they enjoy wild life where they belong. Colors, sharpness, clarity are magnificent. Perfectly well done. Thank you for sharing.
Best regards,
Barbara

Nicou (97543) 2013-03-10 23:21

Hello

Avec l'oiseau blanc dans les herbe, quelle vue et compo superbe ce deux éléphnatdans la belle nature quel c'est beau cela me fait rêver.

bravo et amitié

Nicou

jjcordier (62280) 2013-03-10 23:44

Rosemary
Très jolie prise de vue de ces deux élégants pachydermes que le fragile oiseau blanc semble arrêter dans leur élan (comme l'étudiant de la place Tian'anmen!).
Amicalement
JJ

wolf38 (28146) 2013-03-11 0:26

Hello Rosemary. Truly a peaceful scene. It must be a treat to see elephants in the wild. The instructive text I really like. The title is very consistent. Nice to see all these photos from Africa.
Rgds. Wolfgang.

sevy (13267) 2013-03-11 5:14

At first look, I was thinking it was taken in Namibia, near Etosha NP. And no, you were this time in West Africa.
Nice shot, especially with this nice lightning, not too strong and with the color impact given by the grass.
As bonus, the lonely white bird, which seems lost between the 2 elephants.

Yves.

Silvio1953 (98001) 2013-03-11 7:03

Ciao Rosemary, great capture of fantastic couple, beautiful ambientation, fine details, splendid sharpness and wonderful colors, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

Royaldevon (17741) 2013-03-11 8:12

Hello Rosemary,

It was with a light heart that I read your notes. I was afraid you were going to report more poaching, a wilful destruction of these intelligent, amazing animals. Recently, there has been much reporting of tusks, revealing the deaths of hundreds of animals, being smuggled into Thailand, for the Chinese markets.

This photograph clearly shows the close, contented relationship between the two elephants. A vert well composed and executed shot.
I did laugh when I saw the bird joining the party!

My warm regards,
Bev :-)

annjackman (13177) 2013-03-11 10:38

Hello Rosemary,
There was hardly a blade of grass to be seen when we there three years ago during a terrible drought. There seemed as many dead animals as there were alive. I am so glad that much of it is now recovering. It seems such a fragile ecosystem. A lovely picture of these elephants with the little egret bodly close to them. The sharpness is spot on with excellent detail in their wrinkly skins.
Beautiful animals very well photographed.
Best wishes, Ann

tyro (13021) 2013-03-11 14:20

Hello Rosemary,

You have provided us with a very interesting and informative note and it is very thought provoking to learn about what is obviously a very delicate balance in this conservation area.

And a fine double portrait you have given us of this pair of elephant, picked out perfectly in their surroundings with your long lens. Even at f/10, your depth of field is still somewhat limited and the distant background is nicely out of focus - as are, to a much lesser extent, the very nearest blades of grass. But what is stunningly sharp is not only the elephant themselves, but the cheeky white bird standing right in front of the two of them!

Gorgeous light and colours, perfect exposure and excellent detail and sharpness.

Fabulous!

Kind Regards,

John.

marabu61 (3869) 2013-03-12 12:45

Hello Rosemary
Thank you very much for your informative and thoughtful note on the elephants in Amboseli.
This is a lovely pair of elephants contrasting so beautifully with the green grass. I love the cheeky little bird at their feet.
have a good evening
Daniel

krzychu30 (8797) 2013-03-13 3:27

Hello Rosemary,
truly magnificent capture of these elephants.They look not only beautiful,but also majestic going together and probably seeking for food.And it´s good to see there are still some green oasis in deserts.
The scene is excellently composed,but what I like the most(apart from elephants)are these delightful,soft colors and contrast between them.

Have a good day
Krzysztof

nikkitta (5850) 2013-03-13 9:47

Hola Rosemary
Love wild animals and this is a great capture, taken them from so near, were you on foot on from a jeep?, they seem to be a couple, a good one, walking quietly together enjoying the fresh swamp
I like the bird just placed in the middle of them
Well seen
Congrats and greetings from Argentine
Maria

bayno (16141) 2013-03-16 5:59

Ciao Rosemary,
is always a spectacle to see wild elephant, the compo is perfect and the sense of freedom in this large landscape is so nice...excellent details and very good light...
is also a pleasure the green colors in contrast with the skin colors of the elephant...
wonderful shot...
have a lovely WE...
Valter

Ps tnk for your kind comment...i don't use any technique for my B&W....was very strong fog....just conversion in monochrome and sharp...

jcpix (3207) 2013-03-16 15:09

Hi Rosemary,

A perfect title for this image! Their massive size is so very well perceived here with the small inclusion of the bird. Smartly realized and well taken. I'm generally not drawn to wildlife photos, but seeing these elegant creatures in their natural environment, and having been captured superbly through your photograph, is impossible not to appreciate and enjoy viewing. I actually like that you included much of the surrounding space, it really opens up the picture but does not divert attention from the elephants. Great shot!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Cheers,

Jason

Cricri (86327) 2013-03-18 7:13

Hi Rosemary
Un beau couple dans ce paysage vert immense, netteté et cadrage au top
Belle journée
cricri

Waylim (22349) 2013-03-20 18:18

Hi Rosemary,

Beautiful photo, takes me back to my trip in Tanzania and Kenya, where wildlife still roam freely in the great plain. Yes, everthing on this earth need a balance between all things. Not much else to adds but just admiring the beauty of the landscape and the glace of the pair elephants and the little crane.

Way