A few years ago I started with one simple mission statement… “Let’s set a really high, continuously rising bar in terms of pictures which are visually strong, immersive and fit in a cohesive fine art series”.
In a way, Amboseli is where this all started. With its dry lake it’s a natural amphitheater like no other. So it only makes sense to return here on my first assignment of 2020. The idea was simple; get my strongest elephant image and make it a threshold for an even bigger image. Lake crossing are rare and each one is different, as the elephant herds are never lined up in the same way.
It all comes down to a split second. I think we nailed it with this one. It’s a strong image, which shows why there’s a conceptual leap between being a wildlife photographer and a fine art photographer. The clouds, the sunset, the ground level perspective and the 35mm wide angle lens all played their role perfectly.
Jochen van Dijk
Amboseli, Kenya
17/01/2020