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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Thirty Two: On Safari -- expressing the essence of nature > Elephants crossing the Luangwa, South Luangwa National Park, Zambia, 2006
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02-JAN-2006

Elephants crossing the Luangwa, South Luangwa National Park, Zambia, 2006

Elephants regularly cross the Luangwa River in the morning and again in the evening. I made this image from the beach, using my 420mm zoom lens a good distance from the elephants. If I had been any closer to them, they would not have crossed. Since the point of the picture is movement, I organize it to stress motion through a strong horizontal composition. I placed five elephants on the right, leaving the left half of the image open for them to move into. I strengthen the sense of movement by repeating the rhythmic flow of the horizontal lines below, behind, and above them. The lines in the water, the long strand of river reeds below their feet, the sandy beach, muddy river bank, line of bushes and trees behind them, and even the bank of clouds in the sky, all echo the rush of the elephants. It is an image in motion, and that’s what this image is all about.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30
1/100s f/4.5 at 88.8mm iso80 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Phil Douglis09-Mar-2006 21:11
Thanks, Shirley for your question. I took many images of these elephants crossing the river. I was very far away and using my long zoom. I could not shoot from behind the elephants because there was no way for me to come any closer to them and no way for me to go around from behind. In wildlife photograph, vantage points are severely limited by the nature of the animal, as well as the terrain. I am glad you like my placement of the elephants off to the right -- it gives them room to move into the frame.
Shirley Wang09-Mar-2006 19:40
I very much like the elephants on one side of the image. I wonder if you get the opportunity to shoot one from the back of the elephants with the same layers, they can be made larger and works better or in another way.
Phil Douglis05-Feb-2006 04:33
Thanks, Christine, for tis comment. This image, as I said in my caption, is an image in motion, and everything in it works to that end. You eloquently sum up the elements here that make it move -- even though the image is a still photograph, motion is the entire point.
Guest 05-Feb-2006 02:09
We can feel the motion in this picture - the movement of their legs/feet, the position of their bodies and tails. The elements you have positioned there (space to move, horizontal lines) give the picture an impression of movement and equilibrium. Christine
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