This elephant was resting in the shade of a majestic tree, its branches fluttering around it in the breeze. The background was very bright, as the small hill covered in tall grass blazed with the sunlight from which the pachyderm was sheltering. It was a gentle, poetic, timeless moment.
During a slow exposure (1.6s), a single shutter release with three stops allowed me to multiply its silhouette while creating an effect of transparency. I made three attempts, and chose the image where its trunk merged each time with one of its legs, so that nothing disturbed the overall final silhouette. When developing the photo, I simply darkened the lighter areas, unclogged the areas that were too dark and finally revived up the colours to do justice to what my eye had been able to see, despite the strong contrasts in luminosity. I'm often told that this photo is reminiscent of a cave painting, and that's a wonderful compliment, because I did indeed feel a strong connection with this fascinating animal, accompanying ancestral vibrations.
