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James Gifford Photography

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Monochrome

Wildlife Images in Monochrome
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Portrait of a rhino
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Portrait of a rhino

When I saw this white rhino fermale standing in the shade, I waited for her to move her head into the light, hoping to highlight the outline of her body and face by the soft light filtered by the trees. Underexposing by 3 2/3 stops gave me the perfect canvas to create a sombre portrait of this threatened species. Botswana only reintroduced rhinos to the wild relatively recently. So far the program has been doing well, but ironically the safari companies and organisations involved are reluctant to publicise any details about the rhinos in case it attracts the attention of poaching syndicates. Even so, it is a constant battle to deter and combat potential poachers.

  • The Journey
  • Inquisitive Kudu
  • Stealth
  • Rain
  • Cloud Factory
  • I had spent a coule of hours photographing this relaxed elephant bull as he swam and played in the nearby pan. Realising that his next stop would probably be for a mud bath, I got into position before he arrived, lying down on the ground with my infra-red converted camera which I had opted for to try to negate the impact of the harsh light. He treated me to a rare display of trust by literally rolling around in the mud before hauling himself to his feet and turning to face me, he kicked away the dried surface, which resulted in showers of filth raining down on top of me. I was trying to protect my equipment as well as capture the shot, shielding my camera between every kick. My lens still needed a professional clean afterwards and I was in sore need of a shower, but it was worth it.
  • Rock-climbing
  • When I saw this silverback mountain gorilla in DRC's Virunga National Park, meticulously grooming a youngster, I was struck by the tenderness and care he displayed. I immediately realised I had an opportunity to illustrate an alternative side of the silverbacks who are more commonly known for their strength and aggression, so I framed my image to emphasise this aspect, knowing I would be converting it to black and white. Mountain gorillas are critically endangered and, in contrast to the relative stability in neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda, the gorillas in DRC are in perpetual danger from rebel forces. The conservation work being done by the rangers, who literally place the lives of the wildlife above their own (many of died as part of their work) is both awe-inspiring and humbling.
  • At the height of the dry season in Savute, Botswana, the bull elephants are forced to rely upon pumped waterholes often queuing 24 hours a day to drink at this specific one. I have spent many nights spread over several years, shooting in both twilight and pitch darkness from the ground, trying to capture the perfect photograph of them under the stars and have always been amazed at how silently they wander past me, uninterested in my presence. This time, I wanted to capture the stars against a more colourful backdrop so waited until some time after sunset until the drinking elephants had created an interesting composition before pressing the shutter, using an off-camera flash to highlight the closest ones.
  • The Last Cheetah
  • Blood bath
  • Portrait of a rhino
  • Blissful ignorance
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