SPECTACULAR silhouettes have been captured of the African Savanna and the animals that inhabit it at the Masai Mara National Reserve.
In one image, a 15,000lb elephant roamed across the grassy plains of Africa as three birds flew overhead, all in stark contrast to the searing orange sun above. In another, two 1,500lb giraffes and a herd of cattle crossed the frame, marching across the horizon while the sun set behind them.
Others showed a lioness pacing in front of herds of zebras and antelopes behind her, birds perched on top of a crooked tree, and a baby elephant frolicking in the grass.
These images were taken by photographer Ramachandiran Govindaraj (34) from Coimbatore, India, who captured the images in the Masai Mara, Kenya.
The Masai Mara National Park is named in honour of the Maasai people who are the ancestral inhabitants of the area. It is one of the most famous and important wildlife conservation and wilderness areas in Africa.
He used a Canon 1DX Mark 2 camera with a Canon 500mm f4 IS USM lens and a Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS II USM lens.
“I believe photographing animals in their habitat is giving life to them and telling their side of the story,” said Ramachandiran. “I prefer to capture the images during twilight, before sunrise and after sunset. That’s when I can capture the magic.
“I prefer to go into the habitat early before the sun starts to rise, so we can find a subject in the right place, preferably against the horizon. “The angle and the light are the two key things for making these kinds of images. I choose my white balance and the exposure compensation accordingly for sunrise and sunset. “My favourite animal is the elephant which can make any frame awesome, but any subject would make the frame amazing during twilight.”
“I prefer to keep my distance from the animals, probably around a hundred feet or even more than that. “If we do not disturb the animals with our presence, there are many activities from them which help us make these interesting images. “I hope the pictures make the viewer see what I have experienced in person when I shot these images. “I hope my images evoke a feeling of nature and that the viewer gets lost in the serenity of nature. For me, images are all about being genuine and showing the audience what I have seen.”
The Masai Mara National Reserve is home to cheetahs, lions, elephants, hippos, wildebeest, zebras and many other species of animal.
Every year, over 15,000,000 zebras, gazelles and wildebeest form the Great Migration and travel 500 miles from Tanzania to the Masai Mara National Reserve.
There are many large carnivores found in the area, as well as over 400 species of bird and smaller carnivores including wildcats, honey badgers, and foxes.
For more information, see www.mediadrumworld.com.
ALSO READ: Sculptures on tip of pencils – you’ll have to see it to believe it
