Jennifer Doerrie

January 2025 - Elephants playing

About the Image(s)

Elephants Playing

ISO 400
f/5.6
shutter priority at 1/1000 sec.
100-400 mm zoom lens at 263 mm

Our local zoo currently has two baby elephants, born to different mothers ten days apart this past August. They are a lot of fun to watch and photograph. Unfortunately, though, the backgrounds tend to be distracting. I darkened the wall behind them in this image quite a bit, but I'm still concerned that the young elephant subjects are not standing out as well as I'd like them to be. I also tried brightening the background and creating more of a high key image, but I didn't think that was at all effective. Do you have other ideas about things I can try to keep the background from competing with my subjects here? Thanks for your time and thoughts.

4 comments posted

Diana Magor

I think what you need to do is remove the elephants completely from their zoo background and put them somewhere else! You wouldn't be able to use as a nature shot but it would make a pictorial image. As it is, it won't get anywhere in an International I'm afraid. I've had a go but not chosen a very good background. the elephants are still too contrasty as well, but you get the idea!

Posted: 01/05/2025 15:26:25

Stephen Levitas

I did not have your reaction about the separation from the background. The wrinkly skin vs. the flat rocks in your finished image was sufficient for me to find separation.
It is great fun to see these two tykes playing. I had no idea that young elephants "gamboled." Posted: 01/06/2025 04:38:35

Tom McCreary

Good image of the young elephants playing. The background says "zoo picture" with the rock background, but that is not a bad thing. The out of focus background is fine, and there is a lot of separation from the elephants. I like the tight composition. Posted: 01/09/2025 21:27:00

Wes Odell

The discussion re the background: It looks like a Zoo? Well, where else will a person find two immature elephants. However, Diana did a good job of separating them in a meaningful way. What makes her image work is the very dark veg behind the animals. Posted: 01/09/2025 21:55:59

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