photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Thirty Two: On Safari -- expressing the essence of nature > Feeding frenzy, South Luangwa National Park, Zambia, 2006
previous | next
06-JAN-2006

Feeding frenzy, South Luangwa National Park, Zambia, 2006

An elephant and nine cattle egrets simultaneously enjoy the abundant nutrients at Luangwa. This elephant is using its trunk to shovel food into its mouth. The trunk is more than an elongated nose -- it's the elephant's tool for smelling, breathing, touching, hosing, digging, and pulling, as well as eating. The image comes to life because of the sense of movement and the vivid colors. The elephant strides downhill through a field of cattle egrets, carrying grass into its mouth with its trunk at the same time. It seems to be in a hurry, probably because the afternoon rain is moving in. The sky is a deep bluish gray, and the thunder is starting to rumble in the distance. The sun still shines on the rich green grass and on the goldish brown elephant.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30
1/500s f/8.0 at 15.0mm iso80 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
share
Phil Douglis26-May-2008 22:39
You are very perceptive, Karen. Thank you for noting the role of light and color contrast here, and for noting the elephant's symbiotic relationship to the Cattle Egrets. Egrets congregate wherever elephants gather. They often perch on the elephant's backs to feed on insects on the elephant's skin. They also find nutrients in the elephant's droppings. And when the elephants move through the grass, they stir up insects for egrets to eat. It is all part of the food chain.
Karen Moen26-May-2008 22:24
The lighting extremes caught my attention first. I love it when the sun lights the foreground against a dark background. The elephant almost looks like it is jogging through a throng of egrets! Lol! Voted.
Phil Douglis10-Mar-2006 00:32
You are so kind, Shirley. I am glad you find this shot so arresting. However be careful about using the word "favorite" when it comes to my galleries. The closer you look, the more you will discover. I hesitate to rank one image above or below another. I see my images has each having different points to teach, and each of them works in its own way. But that is not to stop you from finding a favorite, and if this one qualifies, so be it. I gladly take the kind praise, but the light helped out and so did the elephant and the egrets. I like your discussion of scale incongruity as well. Thanks.
Shirley Wang09-Mar-2006 23:01
I was just going to leave a message of 'my favorite' in another shot before I saw this one. It's ... I don't know what words to use...beautiful, amazing...
I have to admire the little egrets who are so close to a giant. It could be that the giant is so big that the little ones can not even see the whole or care to compare.

Shirley
C. L. Cisneros 22-Feb-2006 00:38
Cool shot!
Phil Douglis26-Jan-2006 18:46
Thanks, Ramma for this observation. I must differ, however, on the phrase "odd-man-out" -- a closer look at the elephant's chest will show that it's actually the "odd-woman-out." I agree with you on the color here -- it is rich and lush and pretty much sums up the glory of Zambia's "Emerald Season"
Ramma 26-Jan-2006 16:42
Picture perfect ! The colours are superb. the blue skies, green grass. white birds. Although the elephant is the odd man out, he still is the centre of attention
Phil Douglis26-Jan-2006 06:44
You are right, John. The egrets are a bit blown out. But that comes with the territory. I did all I could to hold detail in them by taking a reading off the egrets with the spot meter. But the dynamic range of our small sensor is limited. It just one of those tradeoffs we digicam users must make. It sure beats lugging a DSLR and all of those lenses halfway around the world and back. For the privilege of using an FZ-30, I'll gladly take a few blown out egrets now and then.
John Reed 26-Jan-2006 04:36
Beautifully exposed image, except for the (age-old) issue of "blowing out" the whites of the Cattle Egrets. But that's only a technical nit, and doesn't take away from the beauty of the scene, unless you're Egret-challenged like me. Nice shot!
Phil Douglis26-Jan-2006 01:25
The stormy sky makes draws the eye and energizes the lunging elephant.
Carol E Sandgren26-Jan-2006 00:08
Another endearing shot! One of the largest beings seemingly happily communing with some of the tiniest ones. The imminent storm moving in certainly provides drama to the color and contrast here!
Phil Douglis25-Jan-2006 06:56
LaRee, you have a good eye -- this is among my favorites, too.
LaRee 25-Jan-2006 05:54
Wow this is a beautiful image. If I went on safari and came home with just this one image I would be delighted.
Phil Douglis24-Jan-2006 22:16
Look more closely, Kal, and you will see that its mouth is full of grass. Thank you for seeing the larger metaphor here. Just as Xin mentions, there is beauty in harmony, and this image speaks of such balance. As for the sound of the elephant lumbering down the slope, Mo, it is the sound largely of silence. They make more noise eating than than walking.
monique jansen24-Jan-2006 14:52
sorry about previous, i accidentally touched the wrong key on the keyboard.
I can almost hear the elephant lumbering down the slope.
Kal Khogali24-Jan-2006 11:41
Interesting what we see...you saw eating becasue you were there Phil...but I can only see the trunk in the mouth, but i see more the the balance of nature like Sheena..a great, great image.
Phil Douglis24-Jan-2006 07:10
Xin, you are right -- there is harmony in nature, all things in balance. The great elephant devouring food, and all those little birds waiting to feed on the dung and the flies. If you want to go there one day, you shall. Let me know -- I am home for nine days and I already want to go back. You would think I've had enough after five safaris. But you never can get enough of subject matter like this.
Sheena Xin Liu24-Jan-2006 06:27
How beautiful this picture is! It brings to me the hormony of nature . It's just refreshes me with the scenes in the movie "lion king". Gee...I really hope I could be there oneday!
Type your message and click Add Comment
It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest.
Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help private comment