A TO Z PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE

Enormous Elephant Ears and Other Encounters

A photographic documentary of the letter “E”

I’m starting to enjoy this challenge. Looking for objects according to their spelling is a new way of photographing things and it’s certainly fun.

This time, I did not go through my folders but used pictures from the trip we’re on now. None of these shots are older than 7 days. Enjoy the ride through the alphabet.

East

It was early in the morning when we started driving East. Leaving the coastal town of Swakopmund behind us, we would be driving east for following weeks until we hit the Indian Ocean on the other side of the African continent.

The one thing that confused David a lot the last few days were the rivers flowing East. In his home country, all rivers are flowing west as the Atlantic Ocean is on the west side.

The only river flowing east is the Okavango river, which is at the same the only river that never reaches an ocean as it creates in inland delta and disappears in the ground in Botswana.

So now, as we crossed the border into Botswana and Zimbabwe, all rivers are flowing East and David lots his sense of direction. Whenever we travel, we use the sun and the landscape to orientate ourselves. It will take a few days to get used to this.

Enormous elephant ears

Just after entering Mudumu National Park, I spotted a large herd of elephants in the bush. We stopped and watched them getting closer and then crossing the road right next to us.

Their enormous ears were always moving. Elephants use that technique to cool themselves down but also to communicate. If an elephant is looking at you with the ears standing out far, you should move. Quickly. He's angry.

Eating

A few days later we were in another national park where we saw lots of giraffes. They were silent just like the elephants. Silent but happily munching on the green leaves of the trees.

Eagle

In that very same park we watched a lot more wildlife grazing in the floodplain of the Chobe River but we also saw a lot of birds. Small ones and big ones.

My highlight was the African Fish Eagle. And we didn't just see one but a few of them. Each of them sitting on a separate tree, they were overlooking the floodplain in search for potential food.

Earth

And then I have chosen the earth since this is where all the magic happens. And which other picture if not an earial view from above presents best the earth.

Here you go. A piece of paradise on Namibian soil. The raw wilderness of Africa. Where hippos are splashing in the water, elephants are roaming the lands and birds are singing in the trees.

Easy editing

And in between all of it I got some editing work to do. But that is more fun than duty. I don't need much but a more or less stable internet connection. And my hammock. Certainly my favorite place to work from.

Since our laptop got stolen, I only have my tablet but I've always preferred working on it. Its so easy and convenient.

This was it. My short photo essay presenting the letter "E" in southern Africa.

This was a photo essay in response to JoAnn‘s prompt “Eating Apples and Avocados While Arranging Alligators and Autumn Leaves in Atlanta?”

An A to Z challenge: Finding interesting new ways to enjoy photography. Here are other participants and their photo essay submissions to the letter “D” as nobody has reached the letter "E" yet:

JoAnn Ryan with “Exploring My ‘D’ Photos: Delaware, Disney, Divali lights, Delightful Daisies and Dahlias”

Dr. Preeti Singh with “Decoration, Dog, Doll, Desk, Dahlia”

Sharing Words with “Daisies, Dance, Daughter, Damselfly, Dog”

Rhonda Carrier with “Decorations, a Delightful Doodle Dog, Daddy Dallies, Desserts, Donations, Sundown, and Directions”

And these are my A,B,C stories:

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