Monday, 18th July 2011
Pre-Dawn Light and Fog – Lerai Forest
by Jim Griggs
Heading to the safari vehicles for an early morning drive into Ngorongoro Crater, I was captivated by the look of the Lerai Forest below the lodge. I stopped to shoot several images of the fog shrouded floor with the trees penetrating thru and casting shadows on the foggy surface below. It is amazing how we become fixated on what we expect to see. I had at least 20 people walk by me and ask what I saw, a lion, an elephant, rhino? People come to Tanzania to see the wildlife and sometimes miss the obvious. I kept saying, no animals but look at the forest. No one else stopped to shoot. Later in the crater I was reviewing my shots from the morning and had the person sitting next to me ask, "Where did you see this!" I hated to tell them that it was what I was shooting from the lodge when they came by asking what I saw.
Equipment: Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS lens
Jim Griggs
Jim has been involved with photography as an amateur for many years and have been an instructor at Wilderness Photography Workshops (11 years). His photos have been published by National Geographic, Africa Geographic, Wyoming Wildlife, The Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, Shutterbug, National Kart News, Footprints, Kiplinger's Retirement and in books, calendars and newspapers. Jim continues to enjoy teaching at local and regional workshops in his home state of Kansas, USA. He worked as an assistant to National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson on his assignment to photograph the Kansas Flint Hills, published in March 2007. he does a few weddings every year and several portrait jobs, a habit he can't break having worked part time for a studio years ago. Jim led a recent photo safari to Tanzania and has several more planned for the next three years.
Website: selective-focus.com
Pre-Dawn Light and Fog – Lerai Forest by Jim Griggs was photo of the day on Monday, 18th July 2011. It is tagged africa, safari, Sunlight, Trees. You can leave a comment below.
32 Comments
julie schmidt
Jim, I might have been like your blind travelmates and missed this beautiful scene. I hope not.
Stunning picture. Living room wall worthy.
Fred Stroman
Great shot…………..
Gerry Woodling
Magnificent!
JimAtkin
How true. Thank God there are people like you who have an inner artistic eye. Lovely mystical shot.
Russ Bishop
Mystical and magical! Wonderful capture.
Paul Van Cauteren
An early rise …. makes great pictures ! Congrats !
Connie Parker
Sensational image! like so many of your photos!
Richard Peters
Absolutely stunning!
Andrea
It is really beautiful and I cannot understand that people do not see this beautiful vieuw. It’s wonderful captured.
Bill Kenny
Wow. The ability to look at an object and actually see it-what a wonderful talent and gift. It produces amazing visuals such as this one.
Keith
Superb!
Susan House
It makes me think of those Japanese scroll paintings- beautiful!
Aly
It takes a rare eye to capture the beauty in each moment and you have!
ggriffin
Dreamy and mystical. I can almost feel the misty air and hear the distant sounds of wildlife. You’re truly an artist so it makes sense why the others did not see what you did.
Juanita Ruffner
A-1 shot, I wouldn’t let this slip by my eye. WoW!!!
Suresh
Really a good one!!
Wanda Krack
I had a similiar situation in Smokey Mountain National Park last year. The shot is beautiful!
Walter Little, Jr.
Beautiful shot! I’m curious though . . . was the sky that color or did you shoot using a filter?
Rajib Singha
A beauty!
Ken R
Super capture …… Many Thanks for sharing it.
Jo-annvanderburg
An amazing photo, right place ,right time. Thanks for sharing.
Moira Hoppe
A view upon a mystic other-world, a shrouded landscape, a hidden story. Perhaps there is a lion hiding in there, but I prefer to imagine what secrets this vista might harbour … Thankyou for a beautiful photo.
Evelyn St. Amant
There’s a great lesson for me in in your explanation of this photo: “Open your eyes to what is before you!”
Francisco Ahedo
Ngorongoro at its best , awesome photo !!!
Michael Roane
Gorgeous photo and wonderful anecdote. People can be so odd! I imagine they had you feeling guilty about taking the time to photograph the scene and yet theirs was the real loss.
Marie Dunphy Harding
This is spectacular! The trees look to be submerged in water, rather than fog; Oh to have a copy of this!
MediaGrump
What amazing view can be appreciated because of thoughtful people like you taking the time to enjoy such beauty. Great shot!
Amy
Magnificent!!! Thanks
Philippe Sainte-Laudy
I can only say “wow”… Wonderful!!
Russell Adams
Excellent work Jim, I love it. I get the same comment from people when they too miss the obvious beauty in front of them.
trudi
Einfach gigantisch!
Jacqueline Deely
Words cannot describe just how beautiful this image is to me. Congratulations!