The Underground Elephant Hide
Changing perspect ives
Changing perspect ives
In the world of wildlife photography there is an ongoing quest for originality; to either capture a much photographed subject in a different way or to find something yet to be photographed and shoot it for the first time. As hundreds of thousands of images of the natural world are taken each day, these goals are becoming increasingly difficult and their realisation, for the most part, is unlikely.
At Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana, Southern Africa, a unique endevour has begun. C4 Images & Safaris, a specialist photographic safari company, has developed a series of hides that allow for truly unique images of even the most photographed of subjects.
The underground elephant hide was sunk into the hard dry Botswanan earth looking onto a small waterhole. The beauty of the hide is that you view the world from ground level and let the animals come to you. This corner of the country is notoriously dry so the presence of clear fresh water brings large numbers of a variety of birds and animals.
The following images are a collection of work from the underground elephant hide.
Small family groups of elephants like this one are common place at the hide. This is the only reliable source of water in a large area and these herds will travel long distances to find it.
Spotted hyenas are numerous on Mashatu and from time to time pay the hide a visit. They are fond of water and will often bath and splash around just meters away.
Spotted hyenas are curious by nature and this young male was no exception. After peering into my lens he walked all around the hide, presumably investigating all the foreign scents that we inadvertently bring to the site.
It's not only the large mammals that are attracted to the waterhole. The presence of moisture brings in a great variety of life forms such as this locust for example.
When elephants arrive they often come at speed, especially the youngsters. The excitement for the cool thirst quenching water is just too much to bear and they race forward, ears flapping, kicking up a cloud of dust in their wake.
Helmeted Guinea Fowl are regular visitors at the hide. They arrive in their hundreds and approach the water in a somewhat cautious, somewhat neurotic fashion.
Green pigeons are one of the most vividly coloured birds of the region. Photographing them from this angle and at this close distance is a real treat.
Photographing wildlife from this unique perspective opens the door to new creative visions of some of Africa's most photographed species.
Spotted hyena are fond of water at the best of times so during the summer months in Botswana, where temperatures regularly reach 40 degrees C, they take full advantage of the cool fresh water.
Baboons are undoubtedly among the most intelligent of animals in the area. They are aware of my presence just meters away and often make, and maintain, eye contact with me when drinking just meters away.
Opportunities for interesting abstract shots abound. This image is of an elephants foot only 1 meter away.
