Small And Mighty
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
