On another level

[Morkel Erasmus]

I thought the title was apt given the placement of these young elephant bulls...but also since this particular Chobe river safari was just that - on another level. We saw so many amazing moments of natural history...of which this was one.


We were able to slip our photographic boat right up to a part of the riverbank where a herd of elephants were playing in the water and frolicking in the aftermath of a huge storm that had passed through.


This is one of many images I took with my 24-70mm lens at this lengthy sighting. My guests also got to use their wide angle lenses here, which is great fun around relaxed elephants like those you find along the Chobe river.


Techs:
Nikon D800
Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 @ 62mm
f5.6 | 1/320 SS | ISO-560
Single exposure (love the dynamic range of this D800!)
Slight crop for rotation and composition (it was tight to begin with on the LHS )
Yes I could have zoomed out slightly, but it was such a quick moment and I was zoomed in following the guy on the RHS as he was approaching...

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Morkel - nice low pov and great interaction. I do wish for a little more room on the left. There's a halo along the back of the ele on the right. Something looks off to me on the color, not sure if the blues/cyans are too saturated or the sky just feels unbalanced. There's also some noise in the sky so I wonder if you lightened it or upped the exp in post?

TFS,
Rachel

[Tobie Schalkwyk]

Nice moment captured well, Morkel! I actually love the sky although I agree with Rachel that it's a bit 'noisy' for some reason.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Thanks Rachel and Tobie.
The colours are pretty much how I remember it - just after a storm passed through and not much warmth in the light/tones at all, with that freshness in the sky as well.
I'll go back and check, but the sky in the full resolution image is pretty much noise-less
I lightened the elephants and foreground but actually darkened the sky somewhat from the original exposure...
Not much I can do about the tightness on the LHS (as I said, needed to rotate slightly). At least I didn't chop him off

[Marc Mol]

Love the low perspective, bright sky and interaction between this pair Morkel, the sky does appear to have some noise (wouldn't have thought @ ISO560 to be a problem on the D800?)
but nothing a small round of selective NR can't fix.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Morkel, OK an image I have seen a number of times and so I've have had time to ponder.

It's not easy to shoot low and from a boat and if you don't have to level & rotate the image than great, but that is few and far between I feel, so I assume the tightness on the LHS is down to rotation, although with that lens you must have been darn close! I like the position of the two and the half & half of water to land. I also like the challenging posture of the RH elephant, juxtapose to the LH that looks/appears as if he/she is about to blow water. I get the impression the sky has been worked on to extract more tonal depth by the usage of colour, but just my assumption, likewise did you add any saturation to the grasses in the FG? Was the FP on the elephant in the water as it looks to have more clarity, but has the feeling of DE applied, albeit it minimal? I think the RH elephant could stand some more USM. I might have gone to 800 rather than a mid ISO, never been a great one for that, not sure why, but do shoot 1000/1250.

Morkel I'm just raising questions, a to understand the PP of the image and perhaps also help some of the newbies too. As I said, could be way off too and non of the above is relevant!!!

I still think the stand alone elephant image posted a short while back has been the best for IQ & content.

TFS
Steve

[Andre Pretorius]

Hi Morkel

All I can say after Mr Kaluski is that I love the moment captured.

Agree with LHS.

Andre

[Steve Kaluski]

Andre, don't get me wrong, if the image has been 'pushed' a little then it has more 'impact'.

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello Morkel,

Apart from the fact that I just love the interaction you have captured here, I really like the POV - it makes one think you might have been in the water up to your chest while taking this image!
Great skies behind the subjects, kind of stormy and some rain in the distance, really emphasising the "water play" and the stance of the ellie on the RHS, ears flapping and full of attitude.

...and thank you for your kind comments on my mouse (rat), these oversized mice of yours (ellies) here are really stunning!What a trip this must have been, I am green with jealousy but at the same time I cannot wait to see what's next!

Warmest regards,

[Anette Mossbacher]

Hi Morkel,

have seen this before and I like the action in this. I do also would like to see more space on the LHS, but you know me by now I love air to breath
The sky is a tad to cyan, like Rachel said before. Not sure about it, but it suits the image.
Wonder if you applied a bit "sharpness" to the clouds.

Have a great eve

Ciao
Anette

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Morkel,
i like the scene ,the low POV and the action you have captured. Sky looks dramatic and is a nice contrast to the greens in the rest of the image.
I also wonder why the elephants are different in clarity ? One is dry the other one wet ?
I do find the blacks choked a tad too much and there is "too much" blue in the elephants , for my taste , checked in PS , negative color values in LAB . Or more blue in RGB than red/green channel.

Besides the nits , i think good shot.With some tweaks could become even a bit better , for my taste.Not much you do about LHS.

TFS Andreas

[Neil Burton]

Pretty **** superb shot Morkel, I feel maybe a mono conversion coming on? That sky is begging to be mono, it is I promise you ;) with some grain all over! :)

I do feel the blues on the left in the sky could be less saturated but hey, **** fine shot that is!

[Morkel Erasmus]

Thanks folks. Will tweak some more but I like this one a lot as is - that being said there is a monochrome version and I like that just as much, might post it sometime

[Arthur Morris]

Beautifully conceived, framed, and executed. A bit more room at the back and getting the near ear in full extension would have been very nice. Still exquisite.

[Dvir Barkay]

wow I now saw this as I was scrolling down the page. Great shot for me, good colors, and the whole interaction is fantastic, a winner in my eyes.