Small And Mighty

Mar 4

Photographer: Gurnit Atwal

The Maasai Mara ecosystem is periodically renewed through controlled burns, and during my recent visit to Kenya, the resulting smoke became an obsession. These enormous, billowing plumes added an overwhelming sense of scale, providing the perfect dramatic background for the wildlife. My guide and I sought an animal to silhouette against the towering smoke. While we initially looked for a giraffe or an elephant, the moment I saw these zebras along the horizon, I knew the search was over. The relatively small stature of the zebras, juxtaposed with the gigantic smoke plumes delivered the "epic" feeling I was after.
Because this image is about the shape of the zebras, and the size and texture of the smoke, I chose a black and white conversion, which allowed me to simplify the image, drawing attention to the scale of the smoke.

1/500 • f/10 • ISO 80 • Sony A1ii • 300mm • Sony 300mm GM f/2.8

@gurnitart

Gurnit Atwal

Ray Hennessy

Starting in 2007 my fascination with nature photography began. In the years since, wildlife photography with a focus on birds has gone from a very passionate hobby of mine to become my career. I spend much of my free time in natural areas searching for birds and any other wildlife that comes along. I concentrate on using creative natural lighting and interesting compositions to capture unique images of common and rare wildlife. My favorite style is a more scenic photo that includes some of the habitat wildlife lives in. I also enjoy passing along the knowledge and experience that I have gathered over the years to other photographers who are eager to learn.

Small And Mighty

Photographer: Gurnit Atwal

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