Taken at the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee
Taken at the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee
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Awards
Contender in the Photography Awards
Contender in the Visual Poetry Project
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Featured
Contest Finalist in Animal Faces In Black And White Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in High Contrast In Black and White Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
All Star
Genius
Love it
Virtuoso
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alienskeptic
July 28, 2015
My comment is redundant: Nice shot! Looking through your photos, I've been admiring your skill at portraits in other species. :^)
davecawkwell
August 11, 2015
Brilliant work, superb composition and lighting caught the graceful arch up of the neck beautifully!
RichardHayesPhotography
September 26, 2015
Excellent high key capture. Well focused but almost too focused. Being a grey scale allows the viewer to feel the texture of it's coat and the stifness of the whiskers without being distracted by color. Nice job.
KayBrewer
May 12, 2016
Congratulations on a finalist win in the Animal Faces in Black and White contest!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took the photo of this ocelot at the zoo in Memphis, Tennessee. I spent the day there with my niece, who was studying Zoology at the time.Time
Actually this is one of my favorite images, but it was taken around 11:00 a.m. and the light was pretty harsh. I usually prefer early morning or late afternoon light, but when photographing animals in zoos or refuges the business hours don't coincide with ideal light for photographers.Lighting
As I mentioned, the light was harsh, but luckily this ocelot wandered over to a small tree in the habitat and looked up for just an instant. The sunlight filtered through the branches and onto it's face.Equipment
Nikon D7000 - Nikkor 80-300mm lens - no tripod because there were plenty of places to brace myself and camera (so I got lucky)Inspiration
Animals are really my favorite subjects to photograph. I can (and do) sit or stand for hours watching their behavior. I visit the zoo often because it is the only chance that I have, at present, to photograph exotic animals. I like to get images that capture the natural beauty of the animal....not the surroundings.Editing
Yes, I deepened the shadows greatly while increasing highlights. I wanted the focus to show the gracefulness of the upturned face and neck. Also, the original image was in color, but the patterns of the ocelot were more striking (I thought) in black/white.In my camera bag
I always carry everything I own in my truck, because I'm still learning and never know what I will need in any given situation. My cameras are: NikonD7100; NikonD7000; and Nikon 3200. I have a variety of Nikkor lenses: wide angle, micro, 18-55mm, 80-300mm (my most used), 300-500mm. Other essentials for me are: tripod, ND filter, lens cleaner, manuals for cameras, and a pen and paper for notes. When I hike or plan to stay at one location long term, I take only what I think I will need, and carry easily.Feedback
If you really want a special image of an animal you have to be extremely patient. Plan on spending plenty of time observing the movements and behavior. I take an enormous amount of frames and usually don't look at them until I get home and can really focus on each one. You can't get the animal to do what you want.......you have to be ready to capture that breathtaking pose in an instant.