Kashin – Profile portrait of Elephant with her trunk curled over.

When Rachael was asked to photograph the elephants Kashin and Burma, her first thought was ‘crikey, where do I find a background large enough to fit two elephants on it!?’ The problem was soon solved by Rachael sewing three pieces of 3-meter x 6-meter soft grey fleece fabric together and then using rope and seriously strong tape to strap it to the metal columns of the elephant's enclosure at Auckland Zoo. With Kashin and Burma’s trainers on hand, it was a joy for Rachael to have the experience of working with such magnificent creatures. Kashin had been an icon for New Zealand children for many years, throughout Rachael’s childhood and into her adult years, and to be able to capture her portrait was an honor. Kashin passed away of old age a few months after these portraits were captured, making this image even more special.

This image was used in the book Why Dogs are Better than Cats which Rachael produced with internationally acclaimed author Bradley Trevor Grieve.

Kashin was photographed by Rachael’s using her Hasselblad H2 Camera with a Phase One Digital Back in Kashin’s enclosure at the Auckland Zoo in New Zealand using Natural Light.

Rachael recommends this image be framed using a White or Black Frame, with or without a white border.