SwitzerlandMol’s photos were taken from a microlight aircraft about 500 ft above Zambia’s Luangwa floodplain. Credit: Marc Mol / Solent News
It looks like a primitive cave drawing, but in truth it’s a family of elephants etching the landscape with their incredible shadows. The looming silhouettes of the group are clearer than the animals themselves, who seem to blend into the sand below them.
This aerial image was taken by photographer Marc Mol who spotted the animals during an air safari in Zambia.
Photographer’s view
“Nature’s rich tapestry portrayed in shadows from the air was indeed a breathtaking experience!,” says Marc Mol, 56, wildlife photographer based in Laufen, Switzerland.
Steady hand
“You need a good steady hand, good light, fast shutter speed and most importantly an experienced pilot who knows how to position you correctly,” advises Mol on this image. The photographer captured much wildlife roaming the plains in the search for water, including a lone hippo wading through cabbage weed in a secluded area of the Luangwa park.
Luangwa facts
Volcanic rift. The Luangwa Valley, like the Great Rift Valley, was created by faults in the Earth’s crust 300 million years ago.
Hippo haven. World’s largest concentration, with more than 50 per km.
Neighborhood watch. Villagers burn grass to improve visibility over plains, to avoid deadly encounters with large animals.
