The Road Is Long

Critiques [Translate]

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• ddg (5507)
• [2007-06-21 13:36]

Bonjour Loot, great shot with a perfect timing!! This is an other wondderful work from you. I like the 3 D effect on the skin of animals.The position of feet for the baby is amazing!! congratulations, Didier.

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• pvs (14464)
• [2007-06-21 14:18]

Hi Loot,

A nice posting,it was the same area where we had our first roadblock (perhaps even the same family),always nice to see this kind of action for real,the note is a pleasure to read,well done and tfs

Paul

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• anel (40574)
• [2007-06-21 14:33]

hello Loot,
That's a marvellous picture from nature with a whole story behind. I just love the way the baby is following its mother. It looks like the mother would have had an eye on the photographer!
Excellent vivid picture
Best regards
Anne

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• Necipp (100)
• [2007-06-21 14:52]

Hello Loot this is a beautifull shot very well composed lovely detail and light, nice skin textures, lovely DOF and you were so close to the action, excellent write up tfs rgds Necip

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• nglen (36145)
• [2007-06-21 16:09]

Hi Loot. before i forget the notes are very interesting thanks for all the info. I have never seen a elephant in the wild as yet.your shot shows their power yet also what good mothers they are. a good compostion and deatil.very well done and thanks for showing us this shot.
Nick..

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• zumoduvas (2535)
• [2007-06-21 16:20]

Hello Loot.

Excellent image, nicecomposition and colors.

Regards.
Jose Luis.

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• Nilson (4423)
• [2007-06-21 19:02]

Exelente foto muito bem composta e de qualidade ótima meus parabéns.
Nilson

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• blakitan (5517)
• [2007-06-21 20:37]

Hi Loot,
Very informative and comprehensive note!
Nice to view this elephant with its baby in their natural habitat. The baby is very cute.
Great shot.
Thanks for sharing [picture and knowledge]

BL

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• dew77 (13270)
• [2007-06-22 2:50]

Hello Loot,
Beautiful scane.Nicely exposed and composed.POV,timing,details and visual impact are also excellent.
TFS..:-)

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• Matt-Bird (1942)
• [2007-06-22 4:00]

Hi Loot,
I like your notes and the twist on the song lyrics, it goes nicely with the photo.
Good shot,
regards
Matt.

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• SelenE (13972)
• [2007-06-22 5:24]

Hi Loot,
The scene you captured is so lovely and natural. And the baby is so cute :o) Composition, colors, contrast and the exposure handling is very good. Well done and TFS
Have a nice weekend
selen

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• Aaltjie (0)
• [2007-06-22 5:42]
• [2]

Hallo my friend

Rather late than never. I would not embarrass you and express myself like I really would. This darn computer! Since last night as soon as I want to post my critique it gives me the same message: “You will be directed to another server. Do you want to continue?” And that is how far I got. What load of %$*&^#@!!.
Anyway........Let me share my thoughts and appreciation for this photo.
The scene you have captured here is priceless, and as you mention in your notes away again so soon. I think you have done a splendid job and have outdone yourself like before. Need I say that with each posting? It is just a fact.
The photo (I think more the baby) received a lot of attention from fellow family members and a lot of ooh’s, aah’s, siestog, dierbare ding and shame were heard from all over.
I saw a very interesting book the other day, and your photos immediately came to mind. It is a book of the paintings of Lisa Halstead, a wildlife artist.She does a wonderful job and if I did not see the photographer’s name I could have thought is was your photos she is working from. To come back to your posting………….
I really enjoyed reading your notes and the bend of the song. What an attention-grabbing and fascinating composition of facts and information. That alone is worth 10 out of 10.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful talent once again.
Looking forward for the next.
Enjoy the weekend.
Aaltjie

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• Kathleen (232)
• [2007-06-22 6:17]

What a very special moment to experience Loot.
You have captured it beautifully and your notes are great to go with your image.
Just the best composition of the little fella behind mama, the difference in size, amazing.
Wonderful detail and colour, right down to the wrinkles.
Awesome

Kathleen
New Zealand

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• marhowie (486)
• [2007-06-22 8:23]

Hello Loot,
Nice action capture with baby in tow, I like it.
You did well to get this one before they were off into the bush..The mom definitely dwarfs the youngster here, interesting to see them this way in comparison..Great detail, exposure, and color. A+ notes :)
Thank you!
Howard

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• Janice (18832)
• [2007-06-23 0:46]
• [+]

Kia ora Loot - Absolutely brilliant! I love this shot with baby following it's mama... Yes, he ain't heavy, he's my baby!!!
Excellent notes too - thanks dear friend

And Now, who's gonna win tonight? AB's I hope!!

Kia ora
Janice - Go the AB's

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• peter_stoeckl (11530)
• [2007-06-23 5:07]
• [2]

Hi Loot,
thank you for those rich facts on elephants coming with this iconically well presented image of mother and baby.
Interesting to notice so clearly here that the elephant baby seems to be just a scaled down adult one. It does not seem to have thoses disproportionally large head and feet of most other baby mammals - and nevertheless it is looking just sweet.
Thank you! My best regards,
Peter

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• AnimalExplorer (1997)
• [2007-06-23 23:37]

Hi Loot,
Man, what I would do for an opportunity to photograph those beautiful animals in Africa, I will eventually make it over there, but who knows when? Anyway Awesome shot of this mama cow and her kid, they are amazing creatures as your wonderful picture clearly demonstrates. It's always fun to read your notes Loot,, sometimes I feel i'm on th eadventure with you. :)

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• scottevers7 (12309)
• [2007-06-24 9:40]
• [2]

Hi Loot,
You got an excellent shot with little time to get set up. Must be those cat like reflexes! The cloudy light eliminates any harsh contrast of shadows. Excellent detail. You hit the focus spot perfectly. A great scene with the little baby in tow! I watched a National Geograpic show on relocations of elephants in Kruger because they are doing so well they needed to spread them out. It is an amazing place!
Scott

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• manyee (23770)
• [2007-06-25 2:06]
• [2]

Hi Loot,
It is unbelievable how small that baby elephant is next to his Big Mama!
He has such a cute expression, and you caught him in mid-stride!
Perfect timing as the two cross the road, one following the other in the proverbial elephant line. : )
Your excellent details give the skin of those pachyderms a rich texture.
There is something majestic about these animals, and I think you have captured that sense of dignity perfectly with these two.
TFS. : )

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• Proframe (4096)
• [2007-06-25 5:43]

Wonderful shot Loot.
It's great to see how that the baby elephant is looking downwards and is just following mom, while mom herself is watching the photographer closely to see if he has nothing bad in mind :)
Grat image with beautiful details.
Thanks for sharing.
Kind regards, Harry

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• betsie (0)
• [2007-06-25 8:03]

Hi Loot
Jy kan behoorlik sien hoe grasieus en elegant hierdie grote dame is! Dit is 'n uitstekende foto - jou gevoel vir die natuur is ongelooflik. Kan nie wag vir volgende foto nie. Well done.

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• Dyker (170)
• [2007-06-25 12:14]
• [2]

Hello Loot
Normally your notes take me (us) on a mini tour to live through that what you saw and so I (we) can experience the situation via your eyes and your skilful storytelling ability. Usually I first read your notes and only then I would view the photo, but I continue to refer back to the notes as I go along while I enjoy and discover the total picture. Don't you ever dare to stop presenting your postings in this way! Although you did not have much time to ready yourself for this photo you did very well to catch the moment. Mom leading the trusting youngster who does not seem to care much about what's happening around him as his gaze is fixed on her heals and he knows she will not lead him into any danger. The photo has a nice 3D effect and I almost expect a bird to fly out from behind the elephant at any moment. The in focus details on the animals are great and the lighting and colours came out very good considering the fact that photos normally tends to be rather dull and drab. I told you a long time ago that elephants are my favourites so I totally enjoyed this posting on the whole.
Greetings
AC

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• jcoowanitwong (13754)
• [2007-06-25 12:53]

Hi Loot,
An excitement to see elephants in the wild. This scene is even more wonderful with little baby following mother. The background is appropriately blurred. Also lovely title to this picture. TFS this fine image and informative note.
JC

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• jmp (8415)
• [2007-06-25 15:59]

Hi Loot,
Really an excellent photo, with an outstanding composition. Road in one diagonal line crossed with the elephants axis, colours, beautiful background... a perfect photo complemented with a wonderful song:
Hollies - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
Thank very much mf for this so complete post!
José Miguel

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• Alex99 (23735)
• [2007-06-27 9:30]

Hi Loot.
Wonderful impressive shot of the elephants despite the limit of time. Shot is composed perfectly and reflects the movements very well. DOF is perfect and you managed to reproduce the nice scenery excellently. Your note is superb as well as the heart and exact comments. Thank you for all these. My compliments, sympathy and kind regards.
Alexei.

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• pilonm (3321)
• [2007-06-27 16:59]

Hello Loot,

How lucky you are to see all that great biodiversity in your corner of the universe! Here you did a great composition of this elephants with this baby following confidently his mother (I suppose)... Do you have signs saying "Warning! Elephant can pass: please slow down!"?


Thank you for this nice picture of one of the most impressing mammal on earth!

Michel

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• SkyF (8073)
• [2007-06-27 18:48]

Hi Loot,
animal babies are so wonderful to look at and this little elephant is not different even though it is much larger than most of the babies... in cuteness itrates on my top list .
How wonderful it must be seeing these animals in the wild.
Very well captured, the details are nice and sharp and the scene is wonderful.
TFS..Sky

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• Debz (3307)
• [2007-07-02 1:38]

Hi Loot, this is a fabulous photo, I adore Elephants they are very special creatures. It is wonderful to see parent and baby. The little one looks so small against the adult. I very much like the pov and the details on the elephants is well caught, nice and sharp with great african light.
tfs
debz

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• Argus (50626)
• [2007-07-05 1:24]

Hello Loot,
Considering the restrictive camera settings that you had at your disposal during a stressful moment, you took a great shot in several respects: the composition and timing, the sharpness and colour, and that both Afican Elephant mother and child are in step.
I can almost imagine them disappearing into the bush.
TFS and best wishes, Ivan

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• Ken52 (4195)
• [2007-07-15 9:03]

Hello Loot,
I enjoyed this photo most because of the perfect exposure. The light is nice and even and very natural looking. Outstanding texture on elephants. Your POV and composition give a true appreciation of the enormus size of the elephant. Nice notes.
Ken

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• JPlumb (2904)
• [2007-07-24 18:36]

Hi Loot, this is so cool. I have only seen elephants in zoos or the circus, so I can't imagine seeing two free like this, wandering around. That would be such a thrill. Your shot is incredible, you have done an excellent job of presenting these two to us. The composition, though to some extent it may have been forced on you, you took full advantage of and catured the two while still giving them some room to move. The detail is very good given the conditions. You can very easily see all the wrinkles on the skin. The colour is very good, and the depth of field excellent. Shooting at f5 you have very nicely captured the elephants and toned down (without obliterating) the background. Oh, and excellent notes. Enjoyed!

Thanks, John

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• arfer (0)
• [2007-12-01 20:37]

Hello Loot

Well there is something you don't see everyday.I see a lot of animals crossing the road here,but nothing like this!
A beautiful image of these majestic animals.The baby following behind is very cute.
Well focused with lovely detail and composition.
You are blessed to have witnessed this first hand.
Excellent POV and DOF.
terrific camera work.
TFS

rob

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• CeltickRanger (37400)
• [2008-01-03 18:33]

hello Loot

nice shot of a wonderful animal with his cute baby, i always
liked baby elephants (in tv documentarys) following ther moms,
excellent textured details on the elephants, TFS

Asbed

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• Miss_Piggy (18714)
• [2008-12-19 2:49]

Hallo Loot
My best compliments for this great image. A wonderful scene of this elephant couple. Mom and her youngster. Fine details captured, as the animals look so natural in their own environment. They both look relaxed and undisturbed. Very nice composition with mother and calf behind one another. Amazing how big the ears of the little one already are. The texture of the skin of the female is captured with great clarity and is displayed well on the screen. Thanks for the informative note as usual.
Love
Anna

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• Ingrid1 (0)
• [2013-06-14 7:21]

My dear friend Loot,
I am absolutely delighted to have found this photo! In the late seventeens we travelled to Etoscha in our panel van and saw in one day more animals than in a month in Kruger.

We had two magnificent weeks there, and on our last day we drove early to the gate. Soon a big herd of elephants blocked the road . When they finally moved on, there was left in the middle of the road a tiny baby. A big, big female tried to push it along. It had difficulties walking, it was very pale grey, nearly pinkish in the early morning sun and had a tuff of heir on the head.
It moved like I did after the stroke, instead of moving the legs forward, they swung sideways.:-)

At the gate, the ranger told us, it must have been born in the night.

We never forgot this experience!

Thank you very much for sharing this little elephant, and I add it to my theme "juveniles."

Warmest greetings and big hug
Ingrid