2019 Great Outdoors Photo Contest Third Place: Big Sky Country

Third place in the 2019 Great Outdoors Photo Contest goes to Kelly Moran for the image, “Big Sky Country.”

“While the Maasai Mara reserve is famous for its density of wildlife and migration river crossings, one of my favorite things about the area is its amazing sky,” says Moran. “As someone who lives in the city, the vast open plains with billowing clouds above is an incredible sight.

“This particular photo was taken after a morning game drive as we returned to camp. The clouds had begun to build for the late-afternoon thunderstorms. Most of the animals had gone to rest in shaded areas to get out of the sun, but the elephants were still out as they graze all day. In this case, a mother and her calf provided the perfect subjects for me to show the scale of the sky. The largest land animal seems minuscule compared to the clouds above. Even better, a far-off thunderstorm had begun to rain behind them, adding to the drama and making for a wonderful composition to show the beauty of the landscape.”

Canon EOS-1D X, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM at 25mm. Exposure: 1/8000 sec., ƒ/3.2, ISO 100.