Greg du Toit
Secret Savannah
Giraffes are such tall creatures, the tallest in the world in fact. For this reason they tower above every landscape. In this boutique gallery I change all this…
It was almost slap-bang on the equator when one early morning I saw a giraffe-like ghost on a grassy plain in the savannah. It was still dark when I climbed out the safari truck and stalked closer. Lying in the grass some distance from my subject, the giraffe was completely obscured by the grass. Not giving up, I soon realized that by changing my shooting angle ever so slightly, I could capture the tall twiga (giraffe in Swahili) between the grass stalks. This unusual angle then naturally lead to a more artistic style whereby after focusing through the grass, I decided to focus on the grass itself. My giraffe became an out of focus silhouette as the twilight blues morphed into warmer tones with the approaching rising sun. The savannah is full of secrets, able to hide the tallest land mammal on earth.
Every print in my GDT Boutique Africa galleries is 1 of only 50 and available in medium and large.
See my print FAQ and read my artist bio and statement.
Twilight Twiga – This photograph contains only two defined elements, and both are the subject. The only difference is that one is in focus and the other out of focus. The grass seeds, dangling savannah bells. The giraffe, an elegant blur of stature (Laikipia, Kenya).
Secret Savannah – Zooming out to reveal a landscape of grass, it took a miracle to find a gap for my subject (or rather for my subject to find a gap!). The savannah is indeed full of secrets and surprises. Is there a better place on earth than Africa’s savannah? (Laikipia, Kenya).
Savannah Blues - At first when I crept closer on my belly, the giraffe was intrigued. The grass, like a burnt forest, towered above and framed my subject. The surreal perspective rendered the usually tall creature, unusually small - dwarfed between out of focus ash-like grass stalks (Laikipia, Kenya).
Beyond The Blades – Viewing the savannah from an insect’s perspective, I realised that the grassland is in fact layered. From above it always seemed flat, but it is in fact completely the opposite - a 3D world of delightful depth. Beyond the blades of the savannah, a giraffe saunters peacefully (Laikipia, Kenya).
Savannah Silhouette – Focusing on the red oat grass in my foreground, my twiga became an out of focus savannah silhouette (Laikipia, Kenya).
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