I created this water skiing elephant picture using an old photo of myself on the slalom ski, photographing a rope in my studio, and the elephant in Thailand. Photoshop was my tool of choice for compositing the photograph together. I actually used four elephant photos. The head was one, the ears another, and two body shots combined to make of the rest of the big guy. I also had to stretch the frame of the image as well...so a lot of cloning and such. The image took about a day of Photoshop time.

We all know elephants are famous for their strength, memory and even their human like emotions. Elephants are one of those iconic and symbolic creatures that we all tend to favor. Elephants are, in short, feel good animals. Not like...say...hyenas! As such, when we put elephants into unusual situations or activities they make great memorable advertisements and editorial illustrations. This water skiing elephant, for example, can be used to symbolize large companies and corporations that have surprising nimbleness and skill sets. This elephant photo is a picture of the unexpected or bizarre. The image can be used to illustrate everything from business concepts to children's stories. Success, balance, achievement and dedication are all represented by a water skiing elephant! The use of humor is a powerful contributor to the success of this image in terms of impact and the likely hood of being remembered by those who view it. This is an image of possibilities and just plain fun.