Boom! This is the big shot of 2017. It’s the kind of image you think back of when collecting your luggage from the conveyer belt.
Especially in 2017 it’s really hard to come up with a transcending image. And then again: the most dangerous thing you can do in life is play it safe and follow the premeditated rules.
I wouldn’t dare to make it if the tusker wasn’t fully comfortable of my presence. Though not habituated, he stayed in the vicinity all night and was calm when approaching him the next morning.
This is about as good as I can do and I think it’s almost perfect. Normally I work with remote controlled cameras and have a trial and error session with settings, framing and location. For this image I was actually controlling the camera by myself from the ground up at just three meters of this big tusker. The result is an impressive “Honey I shrunk the audience”-perspective image of a 40 year old bull.
Jochen van Dijk
4/11/2017
Queen Elizabeth National Park, Ugand