Evening thunderstorms parted as if to highlight a defiant Acacia Tree on the outward slop of the Ngorongoro Crater. After a full day in the crater, the road back to our nearby camp was long and rough. Our return was slowed by frequent battles with deep ruts in the mud—recently softened by afternoon rains. It was clear we would not reach our camp in time to capture the pre-scouted evening composition identified earlier that morning.
Travelling with a group of wildlife photographers eager to make it to camp for dinner and to review their day's haul of images, there was little appetite in the car for unnecessary stops. Indulging the group's token landscape photographer's enthusiasm for a measured and patient approach to capturing a scene devoid of animals was deemed to fall into the unnecessary category.
Consequently, this shot was taken handheld and impulsively out of the side of the vehicle as we paused to identify a bird perched on the other side of the road. Nevertheless, it proved to be among the most pleasing scenes from the trip and effectively captured the rarified mood and glow of a stormy evening in such a wild and majestic location.
The surrounding trees appeared to revere this one central Acacia perfectly situated atop a small rise, seemingly knowing not to encroach on its domain. The challenge of getting to the location and the hastiness with which it was composed and captured may have led to a technically inferior image with a less pronounced subject. Still, ultimately, it may more authentically record the experience of being there.
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Dimitri Vasileiou • Editor