Painted Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

The Asian elephant descended from the African elephant 55m.years ago. It ranged from Iraq and Syria through China.
In India, elephants have been an integral part of their cultural history, dating as far back as the Vedic Period (1500B.C. to 600B.C.) References are made in these early times to their domesticity and tameness. Elephants eventually gained a higher status than the horse, which was an extremely important animal in Indian culture. The elephant became the carrier (vahana) of Indra, the King of the Gods.

Elephants are the largest living land mammals. At birth it is common for an elephant calf to weigh 100 kg . It takes 20 to 22 months for a baby elephant to mature to birth, the longest gestation period of any land animal. An elephant may live as long as 70 years.
-wildindia.org

These elephants were at the Amber fort and take tourists up and down to the fort. They are also painted as this one is for festivals and weddings.

Iso400

Dpbours, Gerrit, sevy trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

Dpbours (220) 2009-02-09 10:40

Hello Wanda!!

What a wonderful close-up! I do really like it with all the colours around the eye.
Some parts of the skin look a bit like a noise reduction that went wrong, but that can be due to the movement of the animal as well. Still a very interesting compo!

Greetings, Dennis
(I'll be back...)

brandstaetter (14316) 2009-02-09 10:44

Hi Wanda,
one eye has to be centered in a portrait, that´s the rule :) but this one could also be an abstract.
Good one !
Cheers Christian

quillo (7252) 2009-02-09 11:44

-

Hello Wanda, marvellous detail of the face adorned with the pachyderm,
is an effective image and of visual impact, I like.

A greeting.

-

Gerrit (36111) 2009-02-09 12:08

Hi Wanda,
goed idee om deze olifant zo gedetailleerd te nemen,
Niet alleen de kleuren maar ook de definitie zijn fantastisch.
Groeten Gerrit

Jeppo (12018) 2009-02-09 13:06

ciao Wanda,

nice detail capture...this shot is rich of details and sharpness.
It's my opinion...but sometimes I don't like this way to treat animals...such painting and so are mainly made for tourists....animals don't deserve it!

ciao
Silvio

Bartleby (5074) 2009-02-09 13:37

Interesting shot Wanda I like how the eye pops out from the colorful skin. Don't think I would've centered it though.

Philippe

jonathan_hart (22580) 2009-02-09 14:21

i've done a similar framing on the eye of an elephant, but it is far better when the elephant is colorfully painted !
jc

aadilj (17950) 2009-02-09 23:00

This is is fabulous and innovative Wanda, and I also notice you are in India! Send me a note if you plan to visit Delhi. I love the vibrant energy of this one. Its lovely

wolf38 (13055) 2009-02-09 23:04

Hello Wanda. What for an interesting and surprising picture. As I saw the Thumbnail I thought of a painting or other artwork. It is actual a marvelously painted elephant. Really very beautifully and worth seeing. Best regards, Wolfgang.

Angshu (33985) 2009-02-13 0:29

Dag Wanda
Took me a while to understand & appreciate! Great work..I appreciate your photographic eye as always. The eye is surrounded by painting...nobody can ever imagine this is an elephant...excellent idea & a fine shot!
Best Regards
Angshu
PS : Got a mail from Andre yesterday...He's enjoying in Kerala & had changed travel plans again...Good to see him in the WS of your earlier post as well.

BennyV (4855) 2009-02-13 10:05

Dag Wanda,

I missed this one, first time round. Strange because I uploaded a similar "elephant eye" shot some time ago, but without the painting job, of course. The colour patterns remind me REALLY A LOT of Joan Miro's surrealist paintings. A coincidence? Probably, but it's so similar, I wonder...

Out of greenies, so I'll just smile myself, OK?

Benny

sevy (13870) 2009-02-16 9:12

Hello Wanda,

I discovered these painted elephant when reading a book dedicated to them and done by a South African: Steve Bloom.
With such a close up on the eye, the photo is strange because we spend time to guess what we are really looking and it is a big part of the interest of this shot.

Yves.

cadel (1857) 2009-02-17 10:58

Hello Wanda
Great caption of the elephant skin details. It is unusual to see them like this. It express the love the indian people ca n have with these creatures.
How bright can these colors be !

CLODO (4521) 2009-04-13 4:20

Hello Wanda

Nice colors and surprising (for me) subject. Well seen, but I wouldn't have put the eye right in the middle of the shot.
Good day
CLODO