Siblings? Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

We saw this family of elephants in the Lobo area of the Serengeti National Park as we were heading for the Lobo Lodge.

The estimate of elephants in the Serengeti is approximately 2,000. Elephant herds are matriarchal and bulls only join the herd for mating.

You can tell by the focal length how close we were. There’s an even closer shot of what appeared to be the dominant female in the WS. There were several others in the herd dotted around the area.

ISO100, FL82mm

I'm off to London tomorrow for the week-end, so I'll see you on Monday.

snunney, pasternak, xuaxo, BlkDaffyDuck, dareco, Dyerco, Cricri, fabio_ts, jwmunro, Wandering_Dan, Photo65Net, ruisc_pt, UlfE, cherryripe, gneufeld, shevchenko, PixelTerror, Floydian, scobert, danos, carper, noborders, jaywalker, bertolucci, Tue, bostankorkulugu, josepmarin, plimrn, stego, pboehringer, Philippe, Jonas_Schmitt, npecanhuk has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

baclama (4497) 2008-03-27 5:25

hello,
tres belle famille elephants qui ressort bien sur le vert ambiant.Les nuages sont superbes aussi...
TFS
vero

snunney (34146) 2008-03-27 5:28

Hello Kath,
A very appealing composition of this little family group, with the mother sheltering the younger of the two offspring. The close framing works well and I like the natural colours. Very good clarity.

pasternak (13032) 2008-03-27 5:39

A cute family portrait, Kath, and the WS is really brilliant, I don't know which one I like more. Nice to see here how the small one is "framed" by the mother's trunk...:)

Cheers
Alexander

xuaxo (5637) 2008-03-27 5:56

Hi Kath,
Very good family photo, with an also beautiful background.
Regards,
F

batalay (20704) 2008-03-27 5:56

Hello Kath,

Although I always look forward to seeing your latest posts, I am rarely online when a new photograph is posted. This morning I have a late class, a happenstance that allowed me to log on, just as your remarkable image of the elephants in the Serengeti appeared. The composition is superb, the colors and resolution extraordinary, and on the social side, there is an endearing element in seeing a family of these magnificent beasts. Enjoy London,

Warm regards,

Bulent

Paolo (40651) 2008-03-27 6:02

My son appreciated the hippos picture! a thanks from him!
Another beautiful one, Kath, colorful with excellent quality and a fantastic family composition!
ciao

BlkDaffyDuck (385) 2008-03-27 6:38

Hello Kath,

Very beautiful picture of this elephant familly.
You knew to capt very well this moment : composition, colors, all is perfect.
Performance all the more impressive that you have made this picture with a 85mm; congratulation !

Regards,
Damien.

dareco (17024) 2008-03-27 6:50

I really like the framing on this, and great poses :) The lighting is beautiful, and the baby is ADORABLE!! TFS

Dyerco (8884) 2008-03-27 7:09

Hi Kath
There is a warm mood here in both the light and the elephants. I often feel these animals are alot more intelligent than we give them credit for. Very nicely done.
Phil

Cricri (42853) 2008-03-27 7:15

Hi Kath,
Jolie photo de famille toujours de grand moment, j'aime aussi celle en WS, belle prise de prés fantastique, des couleurs et détails superbe
Have a nice weekend
cricri

fabio_ts (13672) 2008-03-27 7:30

A really nice "family portrait"..., the "baby" is so cute... fine work once again Kath, all my compliments!!

have a nice evening,
Fabio.

RADEEH (2762) 2008-03-27 7:42

Fantastic shot from the wild.
Nice placing of the subjects in the frame.
The green looks lovely with the dark huge elephants Congrats and Happy journey to you !

jwmunro (6561) 2008-03-27 7:53

Hello Kath -

This is a real touching image, aw-h-h aren't they cute! This is an excellent image in many ways, first the composition is spot on with the animals off center (vertical), the exposure is spot on the money (excellent control of the highlights), sharpening looks to OK but the grass can be a little tricky. Jo and I really like both images. You done good!:):):)

Thank you for sharing.

John

dvlazar (6468) 2008-03-27 8:16

Kath - great shot of these elephants. And nice colors in the landscape too. I love the protective mother and the baby...
Cheers!

Dave

Royaldevon (5804) 2008-03-27 9:08

Hello Kath,

After looking at your portfolio, I wasn't really sure which of your wonderful shots to comment upon ... so I decided to start where you are now!

Elephants, by their very nature, are appealing and deserve attention! I just love how you have portayed the family unit and the caring nature of these wonderful animals.
The images are sharp and the details superb - just look at the baggy, crinkly skin.
Lovely natural colours and good composition.

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

Wandering_Dan (3183) 2008-03-27 9:43

Hi, Kath -

Very nice clarity here, and a good grouping of the animals.

Best,
Dan

Photo65Net (43084) 2008-03-27 10:44

Kath,
Nice family picture :o)
I like a lot the 3 animals attitudes, and the technical skills you show here are amazing.
Regards,
JB.

ruisc_pt (6206) 2008-03-27 11:07

Hi Kath
Great family "portrait"
The details of the savanna background are really sharp
I particularly appreciated the typical Africa contrasting colors.

limule (3825) 2008-03-27 13:03

hello, beautiful, not that easy (I know the place) even if you were at 120 mmm. I like it very much , especially the compo. Well done . Geraldine

coco (27604) 2008-03-27 13:05

Hi Kath.

Again a nice photo from your African experience.
This one is good and much better than the WS... but really you were very close her in the WS.

Regards.

UlfE (8859) 2008-03-27 13:22

Hi Kath,

You keep deliver wonderful photos from Serengeti and I am already looking forward to see what will come next. I am really impressed by the very high quality of the photos and these two elephant pictures are no exception. I actually like the WS a little better. What makes them very impressive is that I understand that you must have had small possibilities to choose the best POV. Nevertheless you have the feeling that this is the best choice. Composition and sharpness are also excellent. TFS!

Cheers,

Ulf

cherryripe (18794) 2008-03-27 15:42

Hi Kath
Your photos really make me want to go and see these animals for myself. This family is so well taken. I especially like how Dad is protecting baby and the way the young one's trunk is curled. The sharpness is excellent.
Regards
Nikki

gneufeld (15007) 2008-03-27 16:45

Hi Kath,
A great family portrait - can sense the strong feelings that Elephants are said to have in family. I am really impressed by the intricate details your capture presents, especially showing the heavy wrinkled hide of the large elephant. Great work again and TFS. Gerald

trekks (14260) 2008-03-27 17:45

hi Kath

Superb wildlife shot to bring us closer to this Nat Park. It is not common to see 82mm focal on wildlife shot of elephant and you have done a great job here.

TFS, bill

shevchenko (9756) 2008-03-27 21:25

Hi Kath,
Interesting composition about the daily life of elephants' family, good pov to show the beautiful habitat with broad greenry field and clumps, vivid color in sunny day, good sharpness, thanks for sharing the natural life at Afrca.
Ally

cbrman (18697) 2008-03-27 23:50

Hello Kath,

Une famille d'éléphant qui est bien saisie. J'aime bien l'environnement naturel qui donne vraiment une ambiance parfaite ici ! L'arrière plan d'arbre est bien plaçé.
Bien vu !

A+

Dominique

PixelTerror (86032) 2008-03-28 2:05

Hi Kath
A nice wilderness image as we would expect from there, better see them in such a park than in a zoo. I think I prefer the WS that is less flat in composition and where there is some interaction with the female looking at us.
Have a nice day JY

ktanska (16414) 2008-03-28 4:12

Hi Kath,
This time I can't decide between main post and WS. This is no doubt more harmonous, while the other one seems to have even some drama. Anyway this is a nice trio and the trees make an excellent background.
Kari

Floydian (30970) 2008-03-28 6:38

Hello Kath,
always nice to see how and Elephant family stays together all their life. Als here the touching scenery between mother and child. The green trees in the back add something extra to it, i like that.
Regards, Henk

rodgerg (23151) 2008-03-28 9:59

Hello Kath,

A very beautiful scene of family....
The elephant arise very well in the green of grass.
Beautiful composition with the trees in the background and the beautiful sky.
Best regards,
Roger

vincz (19039) 2008-03-28 10:18

Very nice family portrait. The baby is so cute. I like very much the naural tones here. Well done.

gilou530 (34739) 2008-03-28 14:03

salut kath
une photo pleine de charme ou la mère protége son bébé un gros tout de meme, cadrage bien fait,
amitiés
gilbert

scobert (5333) 2008-03-28 21:52

Hi Kath,
Fantastic shot of this small elephant family. Elephants are marvelous animals and you did a great job on the composition and capturing the emotional bond of these animals. The way that you included the background is outstanding! Your safari photos should be in photo guides about the value of not just taking long telephoto lens on wildlife safaris. Your safari photos are even better that I thought they would be and I had very high expectations! I am looking forward to seeing more!
Stan

Stepan (27167) 2008-03-29 0:59

This serie is simple, the compo are classical, but it makes me dream at that experience, where you seem to be among the beasts, living free... Must be really troubling !
Stéphane

carper (64130) 2008-03-29 10:42

another fine wild shot Kath,
Fantastic photoagain, good composition and a good quality, I looks me fantastic to made shot like this one, very good photojob and a very good serie of your Africa trip. Have a nice weekend.
gr. jaap

noborders (14197) 2008-03-29 12:20

So sweet and cute, they seem to have a conversation with their eyes closed which give them a lot of expression...
Your WS photo is excellent too - as good as this one IMO, amazing that dominant *female* !!
Great photos, from your last travel to Africa, compliments !
Best regards,
Cath.

danos (31740) 2008-03-30 0:34

Hello Kath,
one more beautiful shot from your safari in the Serengeti National Park.The elephants family look interesting with the little under the body of her mother,i think.Nice the colours and the light.Informative your note too.

Have a nice weekend,Danos

bertolucci (11976) 2008-03-30 4:16

Hi Kath, a strking and touching capture of this elephant family. The rendition of the texture of the hide is fab. I like the WS too - you captured the alpha female in an arresting way. Very good.
Have a nice start of the week,
Bert

Tue (25608) 2008-03-30 8:16

Hi Kath,
I hope you have (had) a nice time in London. This is a great photo of this small herd of elephants. They stand out well against the grass of the background. So nice to see how the young elephant stays close to his mum. Thanks for sharing!
Regards,
Lars

jaywalker (12186) 2008-03-30 11:35

Hi Kath, A lovely family group, Elephants are one of my favorite animals & this shot helps to show just why, they are so loving to each other, you have really captured the texture of their skin, wonderfully sharp detail & very good light through-out help the quality of this work, superbly photographed, TFS, kind regards Wilson.

bostankorkulugu (33334) 2008-03-30 13:48

i love the soft green tones here, a perfect background for your dumbo family... magnificent creatures indeed... and they are perfectly placed in the compo, congrats kath...

cheers

korkut

crckt (6971) 2008-03-30 17:25

Hi Kath,
Good sharp and crisp shot. The little guy looks really cute. Your shots from Africa are just great.
Well done,
Shaeri

John_F_Kennedy (30689) 2008-03-31 7:31

Seems to be that they say just Hello. Nice scenery with good colours and contrast. Well done.
Best wishes,
Achim

josepmarin (33591) 2008-03-31 8:29

Hello Kath,
Another excellent capture of the series of your photographic safari in Africa. Your photos are very pleasant and offer us great familiar scenes of the life of the wild animals, with a lot of tenderness.
And the landscape of the plain that surrounds them is simply magnificent.
I like the divulgative spirit that you give to this good work.
Best wishes,
Josep

plimrn (19558) 2008-03-31 16:10

Hi Kath,
Once again, both of your two shots asre wonderful. It's quite unusual to see an elephant family photo then having such a beautiful BG puts it WAY over the top.
HLJ, Pat

ewiczek (374) 2008-04-01 21:07

wonderfull capture this elephants

stego (22336) 2008-04-02 14:19

Hi Kath,
Another gorgeous wild life photo portraying that family that looks as cute as it is heavy. Besides the spotless technical quality, I am also very well impressed by the compos we achieved in both of the photos.
Regards, José.

pboehringer (770) 2008-04-03 7:09

Kath,
the more I see your shots from your latest trip the more I get astonished with the crispness achieved in your posts. As far as I can see nothing changed in your equipment. Did you cahnge something in your shooting technique or in your PP workflow? The image itself? Perfect and I envy you for this trip!
Peter

Tobias__Ortmann (2589) 2008-04-03 8:34

Hi kath another very good shot from tanzania
I really like the colours and the contrast
also the scene is amazing
very well done
thanks a lot for sharing and
best regards Toba

Philippe (11671) 2008-04-04 1:55

Hi, Kath. You've got a nice range of elephants here. I always feel amazed to see how tender these big animals can be. And your picture shows this again with the mother and the sibling full of attention for the younger one. You show the animals in their natural habitat and they stand out vrey well against the green grass and trees. I think it was a good idea to dedicate more space to the savanna than to the sky.

ahmetgedikli (21589) 2008-04-06 0:27

Hi Kath,
Beautiful composition, good light and details. Well done.
Have a good sunday.
Ahmet

Angshu (33324) 2008-04-06 3:31

This is straight out of the pages of National Georgraphic! Love how the calf is shielded & framed with the trunk of it's mother. Crisp, Sharp, natural colours, everything's just perfect! Excellent!
Regards
Angshu

amaryllis (17101) 2008-04-08 11:52

bonjour
et adorable composition avec ce petit éléphant qui se protège
belle capture de ce moment de tendresse
bravo
juliette

Jonas_Schmitt (3074) 2008-04-10 10:18

Hello Kath!
Very nice picture of this elephant family!
I really like the scene yoi captured in a wonderful composition very much. Beautiful colors, nice contrast, a great point of view, fine depth, brilliant sharpness and good positioning of the elephants. I can´t think of anything to improve this!
Regards,
Jonas

tetris (71) 2009-02-28 12:28

bonjour Kath,
belle composition, la famille est au complet et chacun a sa place, très beau contraste dans les couleurs, la photo animalière ne doit pas etre facile a réaliser, félicitations, Priamo.

npecanhuk (13101) 2009-02-28 12:30

Hello Kath!
Splendorous animal life!
Sharpness is outstanding! Exposure is superb!
What a moment you captured in here!!!!!
The picture is very attractive and beautiful!
I loved it!
TFS - Congratulations!
Best regards,
Neyvan