ENTRY DESCRIPTION
I was fortunate to have the chance to photograph some of the oldest male African Elephants alive today in Kenya. Because they are not hunted in Kenya, the elephants do not run when approached by people in cars. This big bull elephant spent several minutes dust-bathing as we watched. Dust baths are thought to help the elephants control insect pests on them. The back-lighting emphasized the density and texture of the dust clouds swirling around the elephant's head, while outlining its distinctive head shape.

AUTHOR
I have been curious about nature for as long as I can remember (my parents said at
least from the age of 4). My first camera was a small cheap plastic Kodak, but I
delighted in taking pictures of life in our garden. Over time, my equipment has
become fancier and my destinations more distant, but I still revel in the joy of
interacting with the natural world through my camera. I chose a career of studying
the behavior and ecology of animals, mostly primates, as a way of spending as
much time in nature as possible while still getting paid to do so! I used photographs
to document my study animals and their natural history, but had too little time to
develop my photography to the next level. Upon retiring from academia in 2018, I
devoted myself fully to improving my wildlife photography, taking advantage of my
knowledge of animal behavior. The most difficult challenge was to transition from
technical mastery of the camera to being a creative graphic artist. I could not have
succeeded without the mentorship of several outstanding photographers, most
recently Tin Man Lee, for whose inspiration and insights I am deeply grateful.

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