Elephant No.19 Limited Print

Many wildlife photographers have spent days, weeks, and months in pursuit of the iconic, but nerve-racking image of a charging elephant bull, heading directly at them!

One or two have paid the supreme price in failure, and one other, whom \I know was extremely lucky to escape with terrible injuries incurred when he tried!

What makes this particular freaky image, even more special and unique, is that it was captured using a 70mm-200mm f2.8 lens shot at the short end, while I held the camera!

It was captured as we were exiting the dense Sand Forest at Tembe Elephant Reserve in northern KwaZulu Natal, and the moment we saw this large pull, he too noticed us, as I told our guide, who was driving to stop, turn off the engine, and sit quietly, allowing this big boy to make the next move!

My closest camera only had a 70mm-200mm f2.8 lens on it, so I had no option or time to switch over. As he started to run down the hill towards us, I distinctly remember thinking that I could go nowhere, so I would remain calm, and at least have the evidence to show our family how I lived my final minutes!

I capture a sequence of 17 images until he stopped less than one meter from the front bull bar of the vehicle, and proceeded to shower us with sand, and gravel, trumpeting wildly, and then moving back up the hill, as if nothing had happened!