LEIGHTON FERREIRA

Canon EOS 200D Canon 100 – 400 mm lens

TOAST SAYS: Leighton took this photo in the Pilanesberg Game Reserve. He had to wait patiently to get past the ellie in the road.

At first glance, it looks like just another elephant photo, but then you notice two things that make the photo stand out. The first is the fork-tailed drongo that flew up when Leighton pressed the shutter button. The second is the tear in the elephant’s left ear, which gives it character. The elephant is now an individual, not just another face in a group of animals that all look the same.

But it’s the drongo that makes the scene. It provides a sense of scale so that we realise how big the elephant really is.

The photo has a playful feel. It looks like the drongo wants to pull the elephant over like a traffic officer, or maybe challenge it to a fight like a bantamweight with bigger aspirations.

Thanks for sharing your photo with us, Leighton.