Giraffe Flehmen

[edwardselfe]

I recently finished a 12 day photo trip with a French family - all very keen photographers.

We had many highlights of the two weeks, but for me, the light we enjoyed while watching a large number of male giraffes pursuing an oestrus female was the best of the whole safari.

Here two of the males display the classic flehmen grimace after scenting the female's urine. The third male was coming in to have his turn to scent. The large male of the group was standing off to the side, knowing that the female was not ready for mating just yet, and allowing the youngsters to show interest.

If you'd like to see the rest of my trip - have a look here www.edwardselfephotography.com/news.html

Any comments on this welcome but I also just wanted to share it for its behavioural value.

Thanks.

1D4 - 500mm f4 @ f5.6, ISO 800, 1/2000sec. Cropped to 16x10 and levelled slightly.

Will get onto the other photos now.

Ed

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Ed - As you said, beautiful light and interesting behavior. Techs look good. I do find the impala on the rhs behind the oof grass slightly distracting (or at least it made me look there more closely) but I'm not sure I would do anything about it. Looking at the hooves I think it needs a slight amount of additional ccw rotation. Looking forward to more from your recent safari.

TFS,
Rachel

[Marc Mol]

Gorgeous lighting & BG here Ed with the behaviour well protrayed.:5

[Shreyas Mantri]

Stunning light, and those two with the chins raised look pretty comical.
Agree with Rachel on the impala but nothing you could do and not a deal breaker by any means!

TFS

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Ed nicely processed (as expected) behavior image with lovely colors and very pleasing setting .
Like the detail you extracted and the composition the OOF impala does not bother me.

Very well done :5. TFS Andreas

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Ed, doesn't get much better than this. :cheers:

TFS
Steve

[Dumay de Boulle]

Very nice image with all four in a row. Nice pose from the middle and far animal. Very nice IQ and great light. I would like to see the temp cooled down to make the sky bluer as it looks a little dirty with the current warmth You could then up the saturation to give the golden light and still have a bluer BG. I would probably remove the impala as it is blurred by the vegetation. Very nice image!

[edwardselfe]

Thanks everyone for comments and suggestions. Dumay, that's an interesting idea - just had a go with it and it does make an improvement so I'm very grateful, thanks.

I have removed the impala, and I agree it looks better, but somehow a little too clean and clinical, so I think I'll leave it in, but it's interesting that many of you noticed it and commented.

TY as always.
Ed

[Steve Canuel]

Never really thought about these guys doing this but your picture brings up some interesting questions as compared to the smaller animals I'm used to seeing this behavior from. Have to do some reading :S3:. IQ looks good and I personally like the look of the ghostly impala moving ion the BG.

[BenBotha]

I agree with the comments. The Impala, Imo, have to go. It woukd be nice to get more blue in the sky. Over all, a really nice image. Ben

[Gregor Bergquist]

Hi Ed

Love this one, and would like to join the cheering crowd for this one :) My vote is for the impala to stay. Not distracting to me, but something extra interesting to see.

I´m due to visit SL in November and hoping for moments like this :)

[edwardselfe]

Thanks Gregor. Perhaps I will see you in SL. Send me a message with your itinerary and dates and perhaps we can meet.
Ed