This Once-in-a-Lifetime Rhino Photo Was Shot After 7 Hours of Waiting

Neville · 07-06-2015, 10:53 AM

Wow! Pentax is in the news...

This Once-in-a-Lifetime Rhino Photo Was Shot After 7 Hours of Waiting

Parallax · 07-06-2015, 11:02 AM

Not news or rumor. Moved to the proper forum.

mee · 07-06-2015, 02:32 PM

7 hours... sitting at a watering hole... in the middle of no where.. for a single photo of a rhino. Now THAT is dedication to your art.

Gorgeous resultant image too.

Venom3300 · 07-06-2015, 04:21 PM

Wow. What a shot!

Heie · 07-06-2015, 06:47 PM - **4 Likes**

I saw this posted by a friend on FB and the only caption was "pay attention to the gear." My response was as follows:

Holy crap - I was not expecting that (re: the gear).

I thought this was going to be another "it's not the gear, it's the photographer" (which, of course is true) and it be shot with some phone or whatever. I had to read the camera brand twice.

That being said, if I were Ricoh, I'd offer Sir Georget AN INCREDIBLE sum and use this as a flagship advertising image for the brand.

At the VERY least, give that man a K-3 and DFA 150-450 as a thank you for the free and world-class marketing.

-Heie

DeadJohn · 07-06-2015, 10:28 PM - **3 Likes**

[/pure sarcasm] That photo can't be any good. Too many things going against it.

1) It was not taken with Canon or Nikon gear. No one's ever heard of Pentax.

2) 18mm!? Anyone who knows anything about wildlife knows that you need a long focal length.

3) The foreground is too dark. He needs to add heavy HDR effects, the more the better.

4) He used a DA* 16-50 at f/4. That lens has awful corners and needs to be stopped down more.

Ishpuini · 07-07-2015, 12:23 AM

Great shot indeed. Though hardly newsworthy I fear to say...

Etosha is a great place. It has a lot of wildlife that is very easy to see, esp in the dry season. The area is very dry and has a lot of waterholes, so in the dry season this attracts a lot of wildlife. These waterholes are mostly situated right next to a "parking area" (no leaving the car allowed) that's easily reachable from the very good road network in the park, so game viewing is easy. Of course it's not a zoo, so some patience is in order like with any safari.

I don't know whether the author respected park regulations (I suppose he did), but since he shot this image after sunset, he must have been sitting next to one of the waterholes next to which a camp is built. Park regulations do not allow visitors in the park (outside the official camps) after sunset (or before sunrise). People found in the park outside official hours (or wanting to enter the camps outside these hours) are heavily fined. For those who want game viewing outside these hours, there are waterholes next to the camps (with shelters behind the camp's fence where a few dozen tourists can sit and watch all day if they want), or one can participate in an organized evening game drive but these leave well after sunset. Hence I gather the author was sitting at one of these waterholes next to a camp, within 5 minutes walking of the swimming pool, large restaurant, the camp shops (souvenirs and snacks) and a large camping site plus near a hundred rooms for guests... and the smell of bbq in the air... So hardly in the middle of nowhere...

Seeing a black rhino at these waterholes is almost guaranteed. Despite black rhinos being an endangered species, Etosha has a relatively large population. A few years ago, I spent two evenings at two of these camp side waterholes, and on each occasion two or three rhinos visited, though around sunset it was giraffes in my case.

Still, it *is* a great shot, but probably a few dozen other tourists were sitting nearby the author, so at least a handful would have gotten a very similar image. I do wish I was among them!

The shot is great publicity for Etosha's wildlife viewing possibilities, and a great memory for the author, but it's not going to win him an award as wildlife photographer of the year.

Wim

ukhozi · 07-07-2015, 01:31 AM

That is truely an amazing picture and a nice story behind it + Pentax gear used, thrown in as a bonus!
Shows how patience pays off for photographers, waiting for that perfect moment. It´s all about planning, beeing there at the right time, a bit of good fortune and knowing how to work your equipment when that one precious moment is at hand.

For those interested, there is an amazing story by another well known south african photographer, Greg du Toit, where he discribes how it took him sixteen month (!!!) to take a picture he had in mind. He discribes how he goes about taking a picture of drinking lions. Himself lying in ambush in a waterhole for days, weeks, months, getting stung by insects, humiliated by baboons and ending up eye to eye with a pride of lions, only meters away. Makes intersting reading, check it out on his homepage if you are interested, under "Blood, sweat and photographic tear".

Greg du Toit I Lion Waterhole Story

januko · 07-07-2015, 02:10 AM - **3 Likes**

Originally posted by Ishpuini

Still, it *is* a great shot, ...

Man! Must be really hard to give a complement huh?

Originally posted by Ishpuini

... but probably a few dozen other tourists were sitting nearby the author, so at least a handful would have gotten a very similar image. I do wish I was among them!

Wim

I don't think so. Why is this photographer got a lot of praise then? I think he was the only one shooting at the waterhole. This is what he said from his portfolio.

Quote:

After a 7 hours wait at the waterhole, this rhinoceros finally came out of the bush for a drink, while the sun pierced through the clouds and set the sky ablaze. A truly magical moment in Etosha National Park, Namibia.

Originally posted by Ishpuini

The shot is great publicity for Etosha's wildlife viewing possibilities, and a great memory for the author, but it's not going to win him an award as wildlife photographer of the year.

Wim

Maybe he will win.

**savoche** · 07-07-2015, 03:32 AM

Definitely a wonderful shot. Patience does play a big role here, as well as doing the job when the scene plays out, of course.

Etosha is a park where it's relatively easy to be in the right place (which would be one of the waterholes), so the task is to find the right time - which usually would be right before sunrise or right after sunset.

Mind you, just sitting out by a waterhole won't magically give you great shots. You still have to do the job. And be lucky. But you tend to be more lucky the more time you spend

No matter, the shot is a great one, and patience was an important ingredient.

Ishpuini · 07-07-2015, 03:54 AM

Originally posted by januko

Man! Must be really hard to give a complement huh?

Well... I said twice that it's a great shot, didn't I? Two times in one post doesn't seem bad...

Originally posted by januko

I don't think so. Why is this photographer got a lot of praise then? I think he was the only one shooting at the waterhole. This is what he said from his portfolio.

He gets praised because it's a great shot (=3rd time!).

He writes himself that the waterhole was one of the popular ones in the park, and Etosha *is* the most popular park in Namibia. I see that he was there in December, which is the beginning of the rains, so perhaps visitor numbers were a bit less by then, but still... But perhaps I was a bit fast in writing that others present probably got similar shots. Most people would have long lenses rather than a wide angle on their camera, and they might not have gotten exposure right for the dramatic sky. So perhaps he was the only one with this shot.

I do apologize for not taking everything I read on the internet for the absolute truth...

Wim

banep · 07-07-2015, 07:50 AM

Very good shot indeed, but that was a dumb luck. Dumb because nobody is waiting for rhinos with short telephoto lens and luck because that is extremly rare situation in Namibia, even if you are waiting for seven hundred hours. Also vertical portrait orientation @35mm would be much better in terms on composition.

**luftfluss** · 07-07-2015, 11:41 AM - **3 Likes**

I'm glad I'm not knowledgeable about all this stuff and am simply delightfully awestruck by the photo.

07-06-2015, 10:53 AM	#1
Neville Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Durban, South Africa Photos: Gallery Posts: 561	This Once-in-a-Lifetime Rhino Photo Was Shot After 7 Hours of Waiting Wow! Pentax is in the news... This Once-in-a-Lifetime Rhino Photo Was Shot After 7 Hours of Waiting

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07-06-2015, 11:02 AM	#2
Parallax Senior Moderator Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South Dakota Photos: Gallery Posts: 19,332	Not news or rumor. Moved to the proper forum.

07-06-2015, 02:32 PM	#3
mee Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 7,403	7 hours... sitting at a watering hole... in the middle of no where.. for a single photo of a rhino. Now THAT is dedication to your art. Gorgeous resultant image too.

07-06-2015, 04:21 PM	#4
Venom3300 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 714	Wow. What a shot!

07-06-2015, 06:47 PM - 4 Likes	#5
Heie Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 968	I saw this posted by a friend on FB and the only caption was "pay attention to the gear." My response was as follows: Holy crap - I was not expecting that (re: the gear). I thought this was going to be another "it's not the gear, it's the photographer" (which, of course is true) and it be shot with some phone or whatever. I had to read the camera brand twice. That being said, if I were Ricoh, I'd offer Sir Georget AN INCREDIBLE sum and use this as a flagship advertising image for the brand. At the VERY least, give that man a K-3 and DFA 150-450 as a thank you for the free and world-class marketing. -Heie

07-06-2015, 10:28 PM - 3 Likes	#6
DeadJohn Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New York Posts: 4,833	[/pure sarcasm] That photo can't be any good. Too many things going against it. 1) It was not taken with Canon or Nikon gear. No one's ever heard of Pentax. 2) 18mm!? Anyone who knows anything about wildlife knows that you need a long focal length. 3) The foreground is too dark. He needs to add heavy HDR effects, the more the better. 4) He used a DA* 16-50 at f/4. That lens has awful corners and needs to be stopped down more.

07-07-2015, 12:23 AM	#7
Ishpuini Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Antwerp, Belgium Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,727	Great shot indeed. Though hardly newsworthy I fear to say... Etosha is a great place. It has a lot of wildlife that is very easy to see, esp in the dry season. The area is very dry and has a lot of waterholes, so in the dry season this attracts a lot of wildlife. These waterholes are mostly situated right next to a "parking area" (no leaving the car allowed) that's easily reachable from the very good road network in the park, so game viewing is easy. Of course it's not a zoo, so some patience is in order like with any safari. I don't know whether the author respected park regulations (I suppose he did), but since he shot this image after sunset, he must have been sitting next to one of the waterholes next to which a camp is built. Park regulations do not allow visitors in the park (outside the official camps) after sunset (or before sunrise). People found in the park outside official hours (or wanting to enter the camps outside these hours) are heavily fined. For those who want game viewing outside these hours, there are waterholes next to the camps (with shelters behind the camp's fence where a few dozen tourists can sit and watch all day if they want), or one can participate in an organized evening game drive but these leave well after sunset. Hence I gather the author was sitting at one of these waterholes next to a camp, within 5 minutes walking of the swimming pool, large restaurant, the camp shops (souvenirs and snacks) and a large camping site plus near a hundred rooms for guests... and the smell of bbq in the air... So hardly in the middle of nowhere... Seeing a black rhino at these waterholes is almost guaranteed. Despite black rhinos being an endangered species, Etosha has a relatively large population. A few years ago, I spent two evenings at two of these camp side waterholes, and on each occasion two or three rhinos visited, though around sunset it was giraffes in my case. Still, it is a great shot, but probably a few dozen other tourists were sitting nearby the author, so at least a handful would have gotten a very similar image. I do wish I was among them! The shot is great publicity for Etosha's wildlife viewing possibilities, and a great memory for the author, but it's not going to win him an award as wildlife photographer of the year. Wim

07-07-2015, 01:31 AM	#8
ukhozi Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 79	That is truely an amazing picture and a nice story behind it + Pentax gear used, thrown in as a bonus! Shows how patience pays off for photographers, waiting for that perfect moment. It´s all about planning, beeing there at the right time, a bit of good fortune and knowing how to work your equipment when that one precious moment is at hand. For those interested, there is an amazing story by another well known south african photographer, Greg du Toit, where he discribes how it took him sixteen month (!!!) to take a picture he had in mind. He discribes how he goes about taking a picture of drinking lions. Himself lying in ambush in a waterhole for days, weeks, months, getting stung by insects, humiliated by baboons and ending up eye to eye with a pride of lions, only meters away. Makes intersting reading, check it out on his homepage if you are interested, under "Blood, sweat and photographic tear". Greg du Toit I Lion Waterhole Story

07-07-2015, 02:10 AM - 3 Likes	#9
januko Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 89	Originally posted by Ishpuini Still, it is a great shot, ... Man! Must be really hard to give a complement huh? Originally posted by Ishpuini ... but probably a few dozen other tourists were sitting nearby the author, so at least a handful would have gotten a very similar image. I do wish I was among them! Wim I don't think so. Why is this photographer got a lot of praise then? I think he was the only one shooting at the waterhole. This is what he said from his portfolio. Quote: After a 7 hours wait at the waterhole, this rhinoceros finally came out of the bush for a drink, while the sun pierced through the clouds and set the sky ablaze. A truly magical moment in Etosha National Park, Namibia. Originally posted by Ishpuini The shot is great publicity for Etosha's wildlife viewing possibilities, and a great memory for the author, but it's not going to win him an award as wildlife photographer of the year. Wim Maybe he will win.

07-07-2015, 03:32 AM	#10
savoche Master of the obvious Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Lowlands of Norway Posts: 18,311	Definitely a wonderful shot. Patience does play a big role here, as well as doing the job when the scene plays out, of course. Etosha is a park where it's relatively easy to be in the right place (which would be one of the waterholes), so the task is to find the right time - which usually would be right before sunrise or right after sunset. Mind you, just sitting out by a waterhole won't magically give you great shots. You still have to do the job. And be lucky. But you tend to be more lucky the more time you spend No matter, the shot is a great one, and patience was an important ingredient.

07-07-2015, 03:54 AM	#11
Ishpuini Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Antwerp, Belgium Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,727	Originally posted by januko Man! Must be really hard to give a complement huh? Well... I said twice that it's a great shot, didn't I? Two times in one post doesn't seem bad... Originally posted by januko I don't think so. Why is this photographer got a lot of praise then? I think he was the only one shooting at the waterhole. This is what he said from his portfolio. He gets praised because it's a great shot (=3rd time!). He writes himself that the waterhole was one of the popular ones in the park, and Etosha is the most popular park in Namibia. I see that he was there in December, which is the beginning of the rains, so perhaps visitor numbers were a bit less by then, but still... But perhaps I was a bit fast in writing that others present probably got similar shots. Most people would have long lenses rather than a wide angle on their camera, and they might not have gotten exposure right for the dramatic sky. So perhaps he was the only one with this shot. I do apologize for not taking everything I read on the internet for the absolute truth... Wim

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07-07-2015, 07:50 AM	#12
banep Banned Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 360	Very good shot indeed, but that was a dumb luck. Dumb because nobody is waiting for rhinos with short telephoto lens and luck because that is extremly rare situation in Namibia, even if you are waiting for seven hundred hours. Also vertical portrait orientation @35mm would be much better in terms on composition.

07-07-2015, 11:41 AM - 3 Likes	#13
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,618	I'm glad I'm not knowledgeable about all this stuff and am simply delightfully awestruck by the photo.