It was quite fun to watch this teenage elephant who wanted to charge us, only mock, having been in a mud bath prior. I guess our jeep must have disturb him as there was plenty of space between him and the vehicle, but he was also trying to deal with being in 'musth' too as his aftershave permeated the air., so his hormones were all over the place!!!
So, full frame on the width and like Andreas, no time to change as he moved closer. I wished I had put the 70-200f/2.8 on, but I wasn't expecting him to come so close at the time and the 500 was on the other body, stuffed!!! The image also needs more to the RHS of the frame. Secondly and a 'rooky' error, I forgot to reconfigured two of the camera buttons and so instead of dialling the f/stop ie f/9, I dialled in SS, DOH. So lesson learnt, always with a new camera change your menu setting from factory, test, check ASAP and adjust if need be, as this had come straight off the production line when first released and I had one day prior to flying out.
Thanks to those who posted or viewed on the last posting.
Steve
Subject: African elephant, teenager, mock charge, in musth
Location: Botswana
Camera: Canon 1DX MKII
Lens: 500f/4 MKII HH
Exposure: 1/2500s at f/5.6 ISO1600
Original format: Portrait, slight crop, FF on width
Processed via: LRCC Classic & PSCC2019
The vertical framing works very well. You already mention the tightness on the right. Details look great. Also love all that mud caked on the elephant.
Wonderful encounter, Steve. And great timing. Love that pose and dust raising, subject is well separated from the BG. Great detail and lovely textures, colours look great.
As you said it's maybe a bit tight on the RHS, but not too much. Frame well exposed despite camera issues Superb PP work as usual.
Thank you so much for sharing this image as well as the story behind it, enjoyed it very much and it made me smile. Wish I was there with you and Alison, I bet she has a nice video from this sighting
Hi Steve ... oh i did not know that i am a book author , will check that out , might be a ghostwriter who had stolen my ideas .
I do like these chaps who are coming to make trouble .... always a bit more thrill . Pose is nice , would have preferred the head on charge though . The mud caked skin is looking very good and you caked him well in post , to emphasise the effect . Overall i do like the color / tone combo and your usual high quality output . I am a bit surprised to see you going that strong on the contrast ... but for me it does work , but would limit the contrast to the a bit more to the subject and let it fade away in FG and BG .
I am ok with the crop as is , no more space needed on RHS , just my 2 cents .
Hi Steve -- lovely pose and I liked the muddy look. Super details and IQ as always, Vertical framing definitely works here but I feel a bit more space to the right might work better. Also I feel this might work well in BW conversion , WDYT ?
Thanks folks, worth posting, but I still feel the image has reservations.
Andreas, the wet, dark mud amplifies the contrast and so I'm OK on the balance, as the contrast isn't hiding the detail, its just creating more depth/range IMHO.
Hadn't't thought of going B/W, might take a look, thanks.
Teenage Elephant
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Superb PP work as usual. 
