Stunning Life Size Elephant and Magpie Captured Under the Central New York Stars

In a field in West Winfield, New York sits a life size elephant. A local photographer captured the stunning sculpture under the stars in what looks more like a painting than a photograph.

Todd Walker enjoys taking pictures in his spare time around his hometown in Sauquoit. He snaps everything from animals to sports, but enjoys capturing the Milky Way in his landscape shots best. Walker recently took a drive looking for different and interesting things to photograph, when he found the perfect shot. "I was near Plainfield, driving along a country road when I came across this sculpture. From a distance I had to blink twice. It was definitely something I wasn’t expecting to see."

Elizabeth Schoonmaker is the artist behind the life size sculpture that took three months and 40 truckloads of wild grapevines to complete. "From March to June I worked every day but three, in the rain, heat, cold and wind building elephants in my driveway, which I fondly call my studio," she shares in a blog on her website.
Walker reached out to Schoonmaker for permission to take photos of the sculptures on her property. "I headed there shortly after 2AM on a cool, crisp and clear night," said Walker. "There are a few sculptures there on her land and I spent hours shooting before coming home at 5AM."

A life-size Magpie joins the elephant in the field, made from rebar, cold-rolled steel, wire and automotive paint.

Walker plans to make a few prints of both the elephant and magpie. "I want to hand deliver them to her, for allowing me to trespass and capture her art."

You can check out the elephant and magpie sculpture in person on South Road in the West Winfield/Plainfield area. It's big enough to see from the road so you're not trespassing on private property.

You can check out more of Todd Walker's work at Toddshotsphoto.com.