AFRICAN ELEPHANT

We watched this bull elephant dust bathing in South Luangwa National Park, from what seemed like a discreet distance. He then adopted a threat posture, standing tall with ears splayed, head raised, trunk swinging and heading towards us. Our driver wisely decided to beat a hasty retreat but just before he did so I captured this portrait. I converted it to monochrome to emphasise the form and texture of the elephant, which stands out well against his dusty background.

F/65.6, 1/1000th second, ISO 3200
Accepted: Hoylake 2025