Peekaboo!

On this day in February 2024, during a safari in Tanzania’s Ndutu area, I managed, for the first time in my wildlife photography career, to capture the shot I’d been envisioning—a rare feat in this field, as you can’t predict how your 'models' will behave. Armed with just one camera and a 400mm lens, I suddenly found myself face-to-face with an elephant that was far too close to fit in the frame. And with no way to step back! Then I spotted a nearby tree with colors and textures that matched the elephant’s skin almost perfectly. I focused on the tree, hoping the elephant might wander behind it and, for a moment, look like it was playing hide-and-seek with me—trying to disappear behind the tree trunk as if it thought it would be invisible. And just as I’d imagined, the elephant moved behind the tree, allowing me to capture the exact moment I had in mind. What I love most about this shot is how the trunk truly seems like an extension of the tree, as if it’s somehow managed to camouflage itself, blissfully unaware that it’s, well… still very much visible! That moment filled me with excitement—not just because I finally captured this playful scene, but because, for once, I managed to anticipate a moment in the wild before it actually happened. Now, every time I look at this image, I can almost hear the elephant thinking, ‘They can hardly see me, right?’ Hardly, big guy. Hardly."