This close-up, taken in Amboseli National Park, shows an elephant mid-dust bath, captured in the act of throwing earth across its body. Elephants dust themselves not only to cool down and protect their skin from sun and insects, but also as part of their social and sensory behavior. The moment freezes a natural, necessary, yet transient routine.

Unlike traditional portraits that focus on the subject's full face and expressive eyes, this composition is more abstract and layered. The trunk curves across the frame, partially obscuring the eyes, while a cloud of dust hangs in the air. It creates an atmosphere of motion and partial concealment—an intentional departure from the usual clarity of more typical wildlife portraiture. For me, this image became more than a moment; it speaks to the shifting visibility of elephants themselves in the wild, as pressures from habitat loss and human conflict increasingly threaten their future.

Framed in dust, the image takes its name—Into Dust—from the very element that defines it. Beyond the visual, it speaks to a broader conservation narrative: one of fragility, impermanence, and the quiet erosion of space and time for species like this. The dust, both protective and ephemeral, becomes a symbol of how quickly even the most enduring lives can begin to disappear. However, the title has a dual-meaning—it may suggest loss, yet it also points to the fleeting beauty of the moment itself. And within that ambiguity lies a choice: to let things fade, or to act while there’s still time to protect what remains.