Ruaha green season crossing

[Marc Mol]

The green season in Ruaha Nat Park is THE best time for elephants, they gather in their thousands to feed on the lush vegetation that presents itself for this short season, making for dramatic animalscapes such as this river crossing.
Along with Botswana, the Ruaha is one area where massive herds can still thrive..........thank god.

D3s 80-400 AF-S 1/1250s ISO400 @ 80mm. Cropped unwanted sky from top to a pano framing. CC ACR usual levels, curves adj.

Cheers
Marc

[Gabriela Plesea]

Marc! Hello! This must be one of the loveliest animalscapes I have seen!

Love the pano look and so glad you kept that massive palm tree in the frame, it highlights the vastness of the land and shows how small ellies are in comparison. Beautiful sky peppered with clouds, lush vegetation, fantastic colours, Africa at its best! I am very enthusiastic about this image, it has this "clean" feel to it, the clarity and the vibrant colours are to die for - a beauty, cannot take my eyes of this...brilliant work!

Kind regards,

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Marc very nice lush green scene of Ruha .Nice sky and layered landscape with a great inclusion of the herd of elephants.Good overall tones and contrast.
You have an overall cyan cast across the image. Think it would look better and improve the image if you reduce the cast .

TFS Andreas

[Marc Mol]

Thanks Gabriela & Andreas

You have an overall cyan cast across the image. Think it would look better and improve the image if you reduce the cast .

TFS Andreas

Yes, I can see the cast and appears to be more noticeable in the greens, but can live with it, and yes an easy fix.

[Nancy Bell]

Lovely animalscape! That tall palm anchors the composition very well. The eye starts there and then crosses the water with the elephants. Good that the ellies are traveling to the right and very effective to have a plain sandy bkgd immediately behind the ellies so they clearly stand out. I also like the repeat elements of palms on the right, adding a framing effect and yet small enough to let the viewer imagine there is much more to this vast area. Brilliant colors!

[Loi Nguyen]

Hi Marc, lovely animascape image! I will have to look up to see where Ruaha Nat Park is. There are many elements to like about this image: the line of elies crossing the river, the lush green, the giant palm tree, the mountain peak, and the clouds. I think you did the right thing by including the tall palm tree, but it does leave a bit of empty sky above the cloud. My first initial reaction after noticing the elements was the color cast, but I couldn't tell which, but Andreas was right. Looks like Cyan. If there is something i wish for, I would wish for the clouds more pop. TFS. Loi

[Tobie Schalkwyk]

Great shot, Marc! It looks like a peace of paradise! Love the rich colors, the composition, the content - well done!

[Morkel Erasmus]

It's a very nice scene, Marc. Lovely framing and sense of place.
Two things struck me initially:
1. the cast - yeah, for me it's bothersome enough to want to remove it immediately
2. the clouds - time to invest in a CP filter for that 80-400mm! (just wish the sky and clouds had that polariser oomph to them).
Still a lovely image...

[Marc Mol]

It's a very nice scene, Marc. Lovely framing and sense of place.
Two things struck me initially:
1. the cast - yeah, for me it's bothersome enough to want to remove it immediately
2. the clouds - time to invest in a CP filter for that 80-400mm! (just wish the sky and clouds had that polariser oomph to them).
Still a lovely image...

Thanks Morkel

I do have a (B&W) CP for the 80-400, but it's not going to do me any good when I leave it back in camp.

[Andre Pretorius]

Very well composed image.

Love the palms left and right of frame.

The cast is more evident on far mountains.

Elephants caught at just the right moment.

It is heart warming to know there are still big herds around! (for that you need a BIG river!)

Andre

[Marc Mol]

Thanks Andre

It is heart warming to know there are still big herds around! (for that you need a BIG river!)

Andre

That was once the case here Andre, the Ruaha river used to be known as the Great Ruaha river, unfortunately it's a shadow of it's once mightiness some 20 years back.
A victim of corrupt politics, money and rice farming water diversion.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Thanks Morkel

I do have a (B&W) CP for the 80-400, but it's not going to do me any good when I leave it back in camp.

Facepalm moment, we all have them

[Steve Canuel]

I like the shot. Has a 1960's travel mag/Nat Geo look to my eyes.

[edwardselfe]

Awesome. Would be a great b&w too.
Ed

[edwardselfe]

Might just reduce clarity a tiny bit (or usm) as showing halos around palm and on eles.
Ed