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Leopard portrait

Of all the wonderful animals you can photograph in Africa (Botswana in this case), the leopard is my favorite because of the "mystery" that convey....
Read more

Of all the wonderful animals you can photograph in Africa (Botswana in this case), the leopard is my favorite because of the "mystery" that convey.
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Botswana

Jun, 2020

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Behind The Lens

Location

This image was taken in the Savuti Chobe National Park in Northern Botswana during one of our morning drives. This was part of a nine day mobile camping through the Okavango delta in July 2019.

Time

This particular shot was taken during the morning where this female leopard was attentive to a herd of impalas. Coincidentally, they were also very aware of her presence.

Lighting

She was hiding under a tree with several bushes behind which darken the background and have her a nice even lighting.

Equipment

This shot was taken with a Canon 1Dx Mark II and a Canon 100-400mm IS II at 400mm, f6.3, 1/1000s and ISO 400. For this trip and to have much longer "reach" I was also using a Canon 7D Mark II with a Canon 500mm IS first version which gave me an 800mm equivalent with a 4.0 maximum aperture.

Inspiration

From all the different wild animals that the Okavango Delta has to offer, leopards have a special attraction. Not sure if it is their eyes and how intense they look at something (i.e., their prey) or the fact that for the most part they are alone (or with their cubs if you are lucky). I really love the contrast between her head and the background, which I did increase in post-processing.

Editing

In addition to the obvious change to Black and White, I did increase the darkness of the background to accentuate the contract with her head. Small cropping to emphasize her face.

In my camera bag

For this trip, in addition to the 2 bodies and the 2 lenses mentioned above, I was also carrying a Canon 24-105 4L IS I. The 1Dx gives me a full frame and therefore a real wide angle, in addition to be a fenomenal camera in terms of speed, noise, etc. The 7D is also an excellent camera and the cropped sensor is great to get "closer" to your subject without loosing too much in terms of quality and definition. I also have a Canon 70-200mm 2.8L I and a Canon 17-40mm 4L I that I carry depending on the needs.

Feedback

Well, in this case it really matter to be in the right place at the right time. Though you will have plenty of opportunities to capture incredible wildlife, it really depends on the animals to be there. Having a great guide, one that knows photography is also key. Not only they need to know their subjects, but also it is crucial how the position the vehicle to capture that perfect image. If you like outdoors and capturing wildlife, you have to get to Africa, and specially the Okavango Delta and the Chobe river area. It is a lifetime experience not to be forgotten.

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Leopard portrait

Of all the wonderful animals you can photograph in Africa (Botswana in this case), the leopard is my favorite because of the "mystery" that convey.... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow icarrera

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Of all the wonderful animals you can photograph in Africa (Botswana in this case), the leopard is my favorite because of the "mystery" that convey....
Read more

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.