Black-And-White Photo Competition 4 2013 : Entry Number 329

The tones of this image are very appealing, even in it's chaotic fury. The balance and the center of attention; the eye looking at you as a viewer, all flow perfectly.

East Africa's Great Migration of wildebeest, zebra and antelope has continued for centuries, despite the challenges of disease, climate changes and increasing pressures from local communities and tourism developments. On the day we were leaving, a different search strategy put us on high and scrub-covered banks. The animals were taken by the unfamiliar currents of deep water and struggled to get close to the far bank. There were few rocks on which to land and the initial orderly progression soon became a desperate struggle of clamboring over and pushing down on the animals closer to the bank. The river became a cauldron of struggling and dying animals; the cries and moans and the desperate looks were indeed a portrait of hell on earth. After 20 minutes, the main herd retreated from the crossing, but hundreds of drowned wildebeest floated downstream to the waiting crocodiles and vultures. My name is Karen Lunney and this shot was taken with a Leica M240 with a 1995 R 80-200mm lens.