Gold 2019 / Nature / Wildlife (Non-Pro)

The Sage Elephant

  • Photographer
    Felipe Queriquelli
  • Agency / Studio
    Christina Force
  • Prizes
    Gold in Nature/Wildlife, 2nd Place winner in Nature

I was traveling in Laos in order to know more about the Buddhist culture and also the Asian Elephants. Then, I decide to go the Elephant Village, located two and half hours from Luang Prabang. I stayed there for two nights. One night I was walking calmly through the forest, when I heard some steps and the sound of grass being chewed, then I look behind me and suddenly, he was there, a gentle and big young male. He stops in front of me, I step two feet back, I got my camera nicely that was hanging in my neck and I took a few pictures of him. Then stop and I start to look into his eyes.

Nanci and John had a forbidden love. Felipe was born. He played on the farm with his grandfather and learned to ride horses at three. With three years old he broke his arm riding a horse. He did theater in his teens and thought he would be a good lawyer, gave up halfway and decided to study Arts. He met a beautiful girl and decided to get married. They moved to Australia in 2009, where he studied Documentary and Direction of Photography at Metroscreen film school. Two were not enough, they decided to become three. Just completed Master of Arts - Photography.