Elephant Pictures - Pg 1

Photographing elephants, because of the animals' size, can be less demanding than photographing other wild animals as you don't need to be as close to fill your camera's frame.

It's nevertheless still a challenge to produce images that adequately portray the immense power, dexterity, and strong family bonds of Africa's largest mammal.

Elephant Bull, Close-up

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Elephant matriarch with juveniles	Elephant drinking from Zambezi River	Elephant using trunk to drink
Elephant family banding close together	Elephant eye, close-up view	Baby elephant running, side-on
Elephant females standing close together	Elephant on banks of Zambezi River	Elephant baby under close protection
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Elephant bull front-on view Elephant's tail, close-up Elephant group at waterhole Bull elephant leaving waterhole Elephant stirring up dust Elephant pulling up small bush Elephant female with trunk raised Elephant bull with big tusks
Elephant family grouped in defensive formation	Elephant female stirring dust in dominance display	Elephant mother and calf using trunks to spray dust
Elephant mothers guarding their youngsters	Elephant pair cooling off in the Zambezi River	Elephant walking and carrying small log in its trunk

Harsh Light a Problem for Elephant Pictures
Elephants enjoy wading in water, whether in rivers or muddy waterholes. There's no better way of cooling down those huge bodies in the heat of the day.

But it's also the time when the sun is high in the sky, casting intense, contrasty shadows.

Your camera's light meter is also likely to be fooled by the reflections from the water, exposing for the glare of the water and so under-exposing your subject, leaving you with an elephant silhouette.

It's a problem one has to live with when photographing elephants and other African wildlife - potentially excellent subjects are often found in the worst light.

That's why it's best to haul out your camera gear in the early morning and late afternoon, when the light is softer and casts a warm glow. Of course, when it's cloudy and overcast, the opposite applies and it's better to take your pictures later in the day, once the light gets brighter.

Elephant Photography Tips
Elephants are a dull, uniform color, usually ranging from gray to shades of brown (depending on whether they've been wallowing in mud or had a dust bath). This makes it difficult to use color to create an eye-catching image. Elephants also have unexpressive faces, unlike cats and many other mammals, with small, sunken eyes, making it difficult to use facial expressions and/or eye contact to add interest and a focal point to your image.

You therefore have to focus on shape and outlines (like trunk raised, ears flapping), behavior (dust showering, using trunks to suck up water), and close-ups (wrinkled skin, trunks, and tusks) to create an interesting picture.

For More On Elephants, See:

• Elephant Information
• Elephant Biofile
• Elephant Communication

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