Vanessa Beadling

Camera: Canon 5DM3

Lens: 300 f2.8

Aperture: f5.6

Shutter speed: 1/400

ISO: 125

Description: A Yellow-Billed Oxpecker hitching a ride on the back of a Maasai Giraffe in the Mara.

Story from behind the lens: I have a penchant for capturing shots of the vibrantly colored birds of East Africa interacting with the large mammals of the savannah. One afternoon, we followed a tower of giraffes accompanied by several yellow-billed oxpeckers. We waited a long time before I could get a shot of one of these skittish birds settled on the giraffe. This close-up epitomises the beauty of these interactions. So many different textures can be seen in this small section of the giraffe's huge frame.