African Elephant Underwater by David Doubilet
The David Doubilet series in the Schleswig-Holstein Journal, the magazine of the Schleswig-Holstein newspaper publisher, was continued in the March 29, 2014 issue on page 33 with my article about Doubilet's unusual photo of a diving elephant:
Even after many years of hard professional work, David Doubilet, the grandmaster of underwater photography, continues to surprise us with a new view of the world beneath the water surface. A wonderful example of his curiosity for unusual, perhaps never-before-photographed subjects is his portrait of a young African elephant. A pachyderm underwater? Yes, there are such scenes in the Okavango Delta in southern Africa.
Given the great heat, it often happens that elephants climb into the water to cool off. And while the adult animals enjoy bathing extensively and in due peace, the "kids" of the herd see this experience more in terms of play - as "bathing fun".
David Doubilet discovered this lively activity one day on the banks of the Okavango, slipped under the water and carefully circled one of the young animals with his camera at the ready. "Like a child in a pool," Doubilet commented on his series of images, "the little elephant frolicked in the shallow river. Then he sat down on his knees and let air bubbles rise."
The light of the African sun, reflected golden yellow from the sandy bed of the Okavango, gives the portrait of the playing young elephant a special, almost mystical aura.
This is great photographic art.
The one currently being shown in Iserlohn starts on May 16th David Doubilet retrospective in the Schleswig City Museum - combined with a special event that is unique in Germany: “David Doubilet live in Schleswig” also on May 16th at 20 p.m. (banquet hall of the Danish high school AP Møller-Skolen). Advance sales at all known presale locations in Schleswig or by email: stadtmuseum@schleswig.de
