"One-Tusk"

Critiques [Translate]

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• Photo65Net (32498)
• [2008-04-18 1:47]

Kath,
Again a great nature catch.
this elephant looks amazing, with great texture and details on him.
Regards,
JB.

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• migzal (485)
• [2008-04-18 1:55]

The detail of the elephant skin is well seen, the tone looks so natural, too bad that he only got one tusk. You also manage to balance it well with the tree on the right side.
tfs

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• besnard (20900)
• [2008-04-18 2:09]

Bonjour Kath
Un superbe cliché en gros-plan de ce pachiderme avec ses déployées - signe d'agressivité dit-on, pourtant il a l'air des plus pacifiques.
Du très bon travail - merci pour le partage, un rappel à mes dernières vacances. Bonne journée.
Nicole

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• skippy007 (3071)
• [2008-04-18 2:11]

Hi Kath,
Both very nice shots, The detail on the elephant is amazing, a very nice shot & an interesting note to go with it.
Thanks
Santo

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• dareco (11055)
• [2008-04-18 3:21]

Both pictures are beautiful. I fell in love with elephants when I was in Thailand. Very good detail. TFS

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• snunney (21661)
• [2008-04-18 4:03]

Hello Kath,
A very good capture of this handsome beast despite his missing tusk. The baobab tree is an interesting addition and makes a nice foil for the elephant in this well balanced composition. Good natural clarity and very good clarity that enables us to see clearly the folds in the skin.

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• Gerrit (25510)
• [2008-04-18 4:22]

Hi Kath,
Surely an impressive encounter. Very well taken and presented next to the big tree.
Regards, Gerrit

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• Dyerco (5366)
• [2008-04-18 4:40]

Hi Kath
the elephant is well placed in this scene with the trees on both sides to hold the eye in the frame. we can see lots of detail in the elephant in spite of the low light. very nicely done.
Phil

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• ktanska (12393)
• [2008-04-18 4:56]

Hi Kath,
It's incredible how much natural wonders you saw on your safari. Like this one. I can imagine a tusk just doesn't drop off that easily. It's a good protrait. But I prefer the WS with better colours and more nature around. Maybe portraits aren't really my thing (unless taken by Floydian).
Kari

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• sevy (6165)
• [2008-04-18 5:03]

Hello Kath,

What you described in your note was exactly what I experimented during my trips in Namibia and Botswana.
I really discovered elephant at that time and now it is an animal which interested me a lot.
I like the composition of your shot showing entirely the elephant and the soft colors and lightning far from the usual very saturated photos. Sometimes it is nice also to have "natural" colors, the ambiance is not the same.

Yves.

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• danos (19338)
• [2008-04-18 5:25]

Hello Kath,
nice this tet a tet with the biggest animal of the jungle.I wanted to know if you were in safe, with your so much near shot or used zoom ?.Nevertheless it's a great photo with excellent pale colours and light.Informative your note too.

Have a nice weekend,Danos

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• Floydian (25259)
• [2008-04-18 5:39]

Hello Kath,
He looks more majestic in this one than the ws version. He looks really tall and proud. But what i like most here is your exposure. Look at all the details on his skin, wonderful, i like such clarity in pictures taken from animals. His one tusk is really a worth a story, although i am not fond of that tag and if this was mine i would remove it.
Have a nice weekend, Henk

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• Tobias__Ortmann (1831)
• [2008-04-18 6:46]

Oh Kath,
with this shot you make me fly to tanzania again
I still remeber the elefants of tarangire and these trees your posted before.
Great oone
Toba

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• sagar (1795)
• [2008-04-18 7:16]

Hi Kath,
On reading the notes, the shot became all the more interesting!!! A giant tusker!! May be they have dentists in denser parts of the forest!!:-)
Very well taken photograph.
Regards,
Sagarneel.

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• stego (15266)
• [2008-04-18 8:27]

Hi Kath,
An impressive portrait of an old gentleman. I actually like the blur on his ears, which make clear that he is waving them. Impeccable sharpness and light. Another photo that I thought that would only be possible to a professional team with plenty of means and time.
TFS, Regards, José.

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• Paolo (39995)
• [2008-04-18 8:34]

A bit bigger than Dumbo!
beautiful portrait of this wonderufl giant, beautiful colours and good quality too.
thanks,ciao

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• ChrisJ (57261)
• [2008-04-18 9:39]

Hi Kath

Another superb wildlife shot from east Africa, with good sharpness, colour & compo. Excellent shadow detail & contrast. Good graphism against the lighter bg. Tfs!

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• chrisnet (18810)
• [2008-04-18 10:14]

Kath,
This shot is very sharp, I like the great quality here, good framing too with the tree on the right side, well seen and captured.
Regards

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• josepmarin (26350)
• [2008-04-18 10:48]

Hello Kath,
Very good capture of this elephant with one only tusk and with his opened ears, which he seems to be posing for you.
The incorporation of the baobab trunk in the frame is very interesting, and your note informs us very well about the relation of these animals with these trees.
Your complementary photo at WS is also very good, I think that I like more.
Great work, both shots are wonderful.
Best wishes,
Josep

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• Wandering_Dan (3233)
• [2008-04-18 11:00]

Hi, Kath -

A nice shot, with balanced elements and an unbalanced elephant! Nice crisp view of his wrinkled skin.

Did they warn you, by the way, that ear-flapping is a danger signal? It means the elephant is nervous and is close to doing something nasty.

And elephants are not good for the environment; in Zimbabwe we saw whole stretches of mopane forest where elephants had chewed the trees to death.

Best,
Dan

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• JCG (16902)
• [2008-04-18 11:00]

Hi Kath,

It seems that this elephant carries on its head a radio beacon ? Beautiful catch of sight on the animal which is impressive with its deployed ears. I like much the landscape which surrounds it and in particular on the complementary photograph. Beautiful and interesting photograph, thank you Kath.

With all my friendships and a very good WE,

Jean-Charles

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• Henryk_Bilor (19174)
• [2008-04-18 12:09]

Hi Kath
I like the big ears in elephants :). Nice composition with the big tree near the animal.
Regards

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• ysabaner (677)
• [2008-04-18 13:11]

Hi Kath,
Big assurance, well actually wonderful pic.
Colors and contrast very well. Well done.
Yahya

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• delic (6234)
• [2008-04-18 14:31]

Kath, this is certainly one of the best in the series, and arguably one with the greatest impact, for me at least. Composition is simply top-notch. The single tusk, tag in the head and the baobab come together to tell a story, whatever it might be. Technical execution looks flawless at this size, incl. the blur in the ears. Regards,
Hakan

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• scobert (5321)
• [2008-04-18 15:01]

Hi Kath,
You posted two very different but equally well-rendered versions of this great beast. Elephants are marvelous animals and you did this great creature justice with his portraits. I like the tight framing here and your inclusion of the elephant's favorite snack and your WS version is a superbly composed image of his habitat. Both photographs are marvelous! I respectfully disagree with Henk about the tag. I feel that its is important to include details like this for editorial purposes, but I can certainly understand Henk's point from an artistic perspective. Perhaps a compromise position would be to remove the cap and to explain this in your notes.
Stan

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• Tue (23801)
• [2008-04-18 16:37]

Hi Kath,
Excellent portrait photo of this elephant. Indeed nice to see him with his ears out. I find the composition very good as well, the elephant a little off-centred on the left hand side and the trunk, also with a story, on the right. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Regards,
Lars

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• pboehringer (19240)
• [2008-04-18 18:28]

Kath,
interesting shot indeed for the exact reasons that you mentioned in your note. The first impression was the question of what that "thing" on the top of the head. Well, your note explained it partially. Why are the elephants being traced? What kind of research and question is linked to that? While I was in the Kruger Park my sister, a total elephant fan, counted 99 elephants in 3 days. I can't recolect in seeing any only with one tusk. I certainly saw broken tusks. The third and most interesting detail of the shot is the baobab tree. I really didn't know that this seems to be an elephants delicacy.
Peter

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• gneufeld (10303)
• [2008-04-18 19:06]

Hi Kath,
A great capture of this magnificent mammal - and a neat story too. I have really liked your African presentations. Keep em coming. Well done and TFS. Gerald

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• jusninasirun (6945)
• [2008-04-18 22:35]

Hello Kath. Thanks for sharing this image with the baobab tree in perspective. Excellent note complementing a very clear image of the elephant. Well done and have a nice weekend. Regards. Jusni

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• carper (54196)
• [2008-04-18 23:05]

another good wild shot of your Kath,
you made a very good serie here in africa. the shot is well taken and the details are super, very good photojob, have a nice weekend.
gr, jaap

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• UlfE (5959)
• [2008-04-19 1:59]

Hi Kath,

A superb shot. I looks like you are right in front of the elephant. You make really good use of the early morning light. The clarity and details are amazing. The motion blur of the ears just adds an extra dimension to the picture. Excellent work. TFS and have nice weekend!

Cheers,

Ulf

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• kiwi_explorer (12181)
• [2008-04-19 2:29]

Hi Kath,
Very good image quality ... I like the clarity of details. Really good to see these magnificent creatures in their natural environment. I find your notes interesting too. Wonderfully captured and presented. Well done! tfs
Cheers,
Renier

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• Royaldevon (3123)
• [2008-04-19 2:49]

Hello Kath,

This is just wonderful!
I love elephants but apart from that, the images are perfectly placed in the shot, they are sharply exposed, the details of texture and colour are just great and you have somehow given the elephant character!
I love it!

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

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• rodgerg (7075)
• [2008-04-19 3:06]

Hello Kath,

Congratulations for the well collect of the details and the texture of this elephant. A very nice composition with the baobab tree's trunnk on the side.
Best regards,
Roger

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• Jonas_Schmitt (2618)
• [2008-04-19 6:49]

Hello Kath!
Very nice picture, you did really well with this shot.
I like the colors, your point of view and the positioning you gave the elephant.
The sharpness is great and the frame matches to the composition very well!
Jonas

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• bertolucci (11388)
• [2008-04-19 8:33]

Hi Kath a beautiful and well timed capture of this one tusked elephant. The slight motion blur adds to the attraction. And on a graphical level it's a great study of textures (elephant-baobab tree).
I like the compl image too - it's composition is very elegant.
By the way: I alas can't take up the CYMK challenge - presenting Marrakech pics with C and M as dominant colours would mean postprocessing pics far beyond the borders the TOS set ;-))
Have a fine weekend,
Bert

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• PixelTerror (73564)
• [2008-04-19 10:03]

HI Kath,
Another good entry in your Indiana Jones series, there is enough light to play a subtle game on the dark tones of the skin that is very nice, good timing for the ears !
Have a nice week end JY

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• Graal (43121)
• [2008-04-19 10:44]

Hi Kath,
great elephant, very nice portrait and reportage about wild life. Excellent quality. An interesting serie. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

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• coco (23440)
• [2008-04-19 12:55]

Hi Kath.

Well, again you show us how wonder has been your last travel in Tanzania.
Both picture (with Dumbo's ears too) are very good. Somehow a lesson.
Somehow much better than a good photo: it's a great experience and you share it with us.

Thanks.

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• leo61 (31756)
• [2008-04-19 13:16]

HI Kath!
Great shot of this majestic animal.I like the composition with the big trunk at the side and the trees at both sides of the elephant.
I like too how close you have been.It`s a very good exposure with very fine details at the elephant`s skin.
Regards,Leo

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• vincz (17520)
• [2008-04-19 13:21]

Very cool :) i love the compo with the big ears!!! I love the colours. About to leave for Turkey in a few hours. Will get back on TE in a couple of weeks.

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• pasternak (11922)
• [2008-04-20 4:05]

Fantastic portrait of this impressive guy near the possible result of his activities, really nice and timely capture, thinking about the ears...:)

Cheers
A

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• corniste (2891)
• [2008-04-20 12:02]

Hello kath,

Very impressed by this elephant! Don't you know that when elephants shows their ears like this that they are angry.... it seems that you are still alive if you can publish the picture! He has definitely something strange on his head!

have a great day!

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• crckt (6815)
• [2008-04-21 5:18]

Hi Kath,
My word! What a beauty this is, looks like it is going to coming out off my computer screen! This shot is so alive!
Thanks for sharing yet another wonderful shot.
Regards,
Shaeri

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• plimrn (15911)
• [2008-04-21 13:23]

Hi Kath,
This fellow looks like he's really an old warrior with the broken & missing tusks and the tattered ears, like Henk, I prefer this view for the amazingly good detail and lack of noise. The tree adds interesting detail and highlights the conflict that the elephant population incites.
HLJ, pat

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• Cricri (29609)
• [2008-04-21 22:19]

Hi Kath,
Une prise raprocher qui permet des détails bien visible de l'éléphant et toujours une belle présentation, jolie aussi celle en WS qui permet de voir plus le lieu
Have a nice day for you
cricri

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• Angshu (25424)
• [2008-04-22 0:36]

Hello Kath
An elephant with one trunk & something on it's head..I wondered before I read your note. I had no idea that elephants feed on baobab trees! The clarity is fantastic & we can see all the wrinkles & folds in his skin so clear. Neat framing done with the trunk of the baobab on one side & the small bit of the leaves on the left. Good work.
Regards
Angshu

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• batalay (15056)
• [2008-04-22 4:41]
• - [workshop] [compare] [+]

Hello Kath,

Although I have to optimize my time on TE these days, having to cut down on time to see the most recent posts from friends, it is a shear pleasure to see your images from the Serengeti, and to read your incisive comments. I know that these wonderful creatures like to scratch their sides against the barks of trees and wear them out, I didn't know about their chewing on the barks. As for the missing tusk, it would be a simple job to transplant the animal's right tusk, and perhaps I'll do a ws akin to one that Rob Zwemmer (alvaraalto) did on my image of Morning has Broken. It was that image that you had enlightened me regarding the name coming from the Anglican Hymnal.
Warm regards,

Bulent

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• noborders (12519)
• [2008-04-22 11:31]

Hi Kath, very impressive this giant, your note is very helpful too... So many different kinds of game you could take, you were lucky ; when I travelled there (Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania), sleeping in tents with those beasts around us at night), we never saw any lion or other big cats ; elephants, on the other hand, were almost as common as hippos but the proximity is amazing here (I wonder what he has on the top of his head ?)
Your photo is perfectly sharp and it's fun to see the movements of his large ears !
Compliments,
Cath.

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• Stepan (26165)
• [2008-04-23 23:36]

The note is important and the beast impressive. Almost in a pose for you... The realization is ok, with the off-centering that works well, the baobab as 2nd interest point... And the typical light from your trip.
Stéphane

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• samrat_roy1 (677)
• [2008-04-27 21:25]

hi kath
beautiful bold shot. i wonder how close you got. the sharpeness is pristine. the note is interesting too. havnt nationaly geography channel contacted you yet?
regards...

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• jaywalker (9417)
• [2008-05-20 13:03]
• [+]

Hi Kath, I have been saying to some of my other TE friends, that I am sorry that I have missed so many of their great shots, however I'm so grateful for the opportunity to look back at what I've missed, because this is a photo I poetically like, Elephants, if I had enough room in my garden an Elephant would be there.
The quality in your focus is out-standing & brings out every crack & crease, the tree to the right is just superb, I love it & it will go in my favorite animal photos, just notices the one trunk, not very observant of me I know, perhaps I should read the titles first, take care Wilson.

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• Truja (4944)
• [2008-05-27 22:12]

Hi Kath!

I have visited your gallery, this is fantastic. This photo has drawn me attention, by the proximity with which you present this wonderful elephant to us. The quality of the image and the colors and textures make the rest in this graphical capture.

Thanks for share Kath!

Jordi