Elephant in the Mara

Hello everyone. I've been a bit flooded of late so blog posts have been sparse.

In the beginning of the month, I published a collection of images from my 2014 "photographic year". Though I always do this and view it as a useful way to assess my growth and artistic voice, I purposefully posted only images taken at 100mm focal length or less. You can read the entire post HERE.

The image I am sharing today NEARLY made the cut in that post.
During our +Wild Eye photographic safari to experience the Great Migration in the Mara Triangle in September 2014, we spent some time with a gentle yet impressive African Elephant bull who was leisurely grazing on the long red oat grass along the Mara river. He was right next to our vehicle so I was able to inspire my guests to really work the scene with their wide angle lenses. I am a sucker for an "animalscape" and having a circular polariser in front of my lens helped bring out more detail in the sky and tame some of the harsh late morning light.

Techs:
Nikon D800
Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 @ 24mm
Kenko Pro Circular Polariser
f4.0  |  1/400 SS  |  ISO-100

Do you enjoy seeing photos like this? Or do you prefer the animal to be larger in the frame?
Let me know - drop me a comment on this post and let's discuss...

Morkel Erasmus

Ghostly Duo

A moment of magic in the bush as a Black Rhino cow and her calf approach the nearby waterhole. A storm is brewing and the day is drawing to a close. Every step is weary, and every sound is carefully tuned into with their amazing hearing. We sat very still in our vehicle and watched for more than 30 minutes as they carefully emerged from the thickets, quenched their thirst, nearly charged some impala that were also on their way to have a drink, and slowly disappear into the fading light...

To view the photos at their optimal sharpness and resolution, merely click on one and cycle through them using your left and right keys.



Moments like these are getting harder and harder to experience...
Rhinos in Southern Africa are being decimated at higher and higher rates by the day...
The Black Rhino is the least populous of the species found in Southern Africa...
Please check out the following initiative: www.breakingthebrand.org

I hope you like this image. The monochrome conversion I created really spoke to me in a way the colour version could not do...I always like to show my before and after versions (colour and monochrome) - so here they are.

Techs:
Nikon D800
Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II
f5.6 | 1/500 SS | ISO-3200

Thanks for having a look! Have a great week...

Morkel Erasmus

Standing Proud

Tall and proud he stands. Bathed in golden light as the sun sinks to the horizon.
He wants a drink, and he will get it, as he doesn't have enemies at this waterhole.

Elephants are special creatures. During my time at a research bunker in Namibia last year, I was fascinated by their various rumblings and communication techniques with the other elephants of the area. There is a recent publication on the National Geographic website where you can listen to some of these rumblings and noises, and see a diagram on how it works and what each sound and gesture signals. Check it out HERE.

Elephants are, however, under threat from daily poaching all over Africa. They are sometimes poached for meat, but mostly it's all about their ivory tusks. Nations around the world are trying to crack down on ivory smuggling rings and are burning their own confiscated ivory stockpiles, while banning local legal trade in ivory. Let's hope all these efforts will help, because an elephant is illegally killed in Africa every 15 minutes! On 4 October 2014 there will be a "Global march for Elephants and Rhinos" - and you can find more info HERE.

I hope you like this image!

Techs:
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 VR-II @ 70mm
f8.0  |  1/400 SS  |  ISO-220

click on the photo to view at optimal sharpness and resolution against a dark background

I hope you have a wonderful week ahead!

Morkel Erasmus

Petition: Stop Rhino poaching in Africa!

Hi there folks.

This'll be a short post. I was shared this petition by a fellow photographer on Facebook and thought to send it on via my blog too. Many of you might be aware of this issue already, but Rhino poaching has been on a dramatic increase over the last 2 years, especially in my native South Africa.

By June the 3rd 2011, more than 170 rhinos had already been wiped out for their horns, and in the 2010 calendar year the figure amounted to more than 1 per day on average. The ridiculous notion held in the Far East that their horns are worth something medicinally and helpful for sexual arousal is fueling the demand for this "commodity".

Please take a moment to sign this petition HERE, which is due to be sent to high-ranking government officials in Vietnam.

Thanks for your time!


Yours in conservation (in a very small way),
Morkel Erasmus

PhotoShare: Amongst Giants

Hi everyone...

I thought I'd kick off October 2010 with an endearing PhotoShare moment. I photographed this herd of African Elephants earlier in August in the Addo Elephant National Park. The little one seemed to get lost among the bulky adults around him, and I also liked that he was the only one facing me.

f8.0  //  1/500 SS // ISO-400

I hope you enjoyed this one. There are many more photos on my new WEBSITE (which I launched last week in case you missed it). Go check it out - and remember you need to have the latest version of Flash installed to enhance your viewing pleasure.

Enjoy the rest of the week!

Morkel Erasmus