When I got back from Tanzania, I was faced with a wonderful problem, a lot of photos. I have been through them several times, but there are not many files that I have completely thrown away at this point. I just want to be sure I’m not getting rid of something that I actually could edit in the future. Usually, I discard absolutely awful photos right away. Then I wait at least two months before throwing anything else out. I find this time helps me look more critically and objectively at the files I have. From this trip I have a lot of files with potential, like this one:
ISO 400 78mm f/18 1/125sec
It wasn’t good enough to make the cut for the book I had made of the trip. But I liked it. When I went to edit it this past week, the first thing I wanted to accentuate was the elephant that was looking at our vehicle. The crop helps with that. Then I applied a filter to help make the color and textures in the image pop a bit. At that point the one element that was bothering me still was the tusks, they were completely blown out and appeared smooth and almost white. In Lightroom, I applied the adjustment brush to just the tusks. Then on just those areas, I dropped the exposure. The image was a RAW file, so there was some detail information there and the tusks now appear more as they did in real life, textured and dusty. My final edit is below:
ISO 400 78mm f/18 1/125sec
This edit is, to me, a quintessential safari image. What do you think, do you like the edits? Feel free to leave a comment below.
Cheers!
Added to: A Photo A Week, Quintessential.
Picfair version is here.
Photography Journal Blog 
I like the crops and the adjustment on the tusks which now seem more weathered and realistic
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Thank you very much for the feedback on my edits. I really like this photo right now, but we will see if it stands the test of time.
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Nice tanzania safari Elephant photos
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Thank you!
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I really like what you have done with the image. Looks well composed and nothing jarring. A lot of photos is a good problem. Usually I never discard the awful ones and keep every single one. For me each photo I take is a memory, a vantage of point of where I was standing and seeing, no matter how bad or blurry because years down the line, I might be reminded of the moment 🙂
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That’s a really nice way to think of your images Mabel. I’m afraid I’m more ruthless than that!
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Well, you have a high standard when it comes to your photography. Making sure every detail speak to you, so you can create a much more meaningful final image 🙂
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Just a bit a different approach is all, I do admire your thought of keeping them all, I just can’t bring myself to do it 🙂
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You do have very high standards and strive to maintain them. All the more reason for you to take many more good shots 🙂
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🙂 Thanks very much Mabel.
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Such a fabulous edit! Success!
The tusks are now what you saw in person.
Great shot!
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Thank you very much.
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Time does change the look of an image. When I first load my images I am looking through the eyes of a harsh critic. Leave the computer and when I return I see the bad and the good.
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Thank you for sharing this thought because I must admit I am the opposite. I’m pretty excited when I first see the files (unless they’re terrible) and it’s time that gives me a bit of perspective.
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I like the crops as it gives a closer look of the elephants.
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Thank you 🙂
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I love elephants, so to me any photo of them is a winner!
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Yes, they really are amazing. Like with the other animals I saw on this trip, seeing them in the wild was really an amazing experience for me.
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They’re always a great subject matter and what a privilege to see them in the wild. 🙂 🙂 Yes, you’ve done a good job. I agree with Mabel in principle but if I kept everything my laptop would crash! 🙂
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Yes, honestly, just the thought of keeping that many images is enough to make me panic 🙂
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I love the cropping and the touch-up. I shoot in RAW, so not editing is almost not an option. Wonderful photo! Thanks for joining the challenge!
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Thank you very much, and thanks for hosting 🙂
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The edit is magnificent! What a wonderful experience and a delightful “problem” to have. (Too many great photos.)
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Thank you very much, and yes, I think this is my favorite problem.
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This post is a good example of editing that makes the image a better reflection of the actual experience. Those glaring white tusks in the original view of the young elephant would be OK in a still from a movie with a mashup of Dumbo and Dracula as the lead character. I doubt that anybody on the safari saw them that way (or would want to see such a movie).
The edited image is definitely a keeper.
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Thank you very much for your feedback on this. At the moment I am happy with this edit.
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Great edit.
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Thank you 🙂
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Great post and nice information too. Thank a lot for sharing your gorgeous photos and wonderful Safari experience with us keep posting.
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Thank you very much.
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Definitely love the editing Amy. I too come home with way too many photos. Ours from Africa I can hardly stand to delete.
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Yes, I think it will be a while before I do any serious culling of those photos.
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Great edits!
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Thank you very much.
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I love both the photos. The original is raw and the edit looks to me shades of a tamed elephant . Both are lovely.. I am learning photography.. So my comment would not really matter..
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That’s a really interesting thought, that the edit looks tamer to you. I’m wondering why, if it’s the change in color tone or something else that makes you feel that way. Thank you for sharing.
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