Cheetah Ablaze
Subject: Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Location: Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa
Background: After leaving camp before dawn and striking a r...
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Subject: Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Location: Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa
Background: After leaving camp before dawn and striking a route north up the dry Nossob riverbed, I came around a bend only to see a male cheetah chase a steenbok across the road! I stopped and scanned the area where they'd run to, and sure enough I found two cheetahs, but no prey. The little buck had gotten away. The sunrise was magnificent and the cats started walking towards me and in search of another potential target. Cheetah numbers all over Africa are dwindling due to human encroachment, lack of genetic diversity and conflict with stronger predators like lions. Yet the cheetahs in the Kgalagadi are flourishing, and this semi-desert is a beacon of hope for this magnificent species.
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Location: Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa
Background: After leaving camp before dawn and striking a route north up the dry Nossob riverbed, I came around a bend only to see a male cheetah chase a steenbok across the road! I stopped and scanned the area where they'd run to, and sure enough I found two cheetahs, but no prey. The little buck had gotten away. The sunrise was magnificent and the cats started walking towards me and in search of another potential target. Cheetah numbers all over Africa are dwindling due to human encroachment, lack of genetic diversity and conflict with stronger predators like lions. Yet the cheetahs in the Kgalagadi are flourishing, and this semi-desert is a beacon of hope for this magnificent species.
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Aug, 2014Views
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Bushmilesgallery
February 17, 2016
AWESOME SHOT van die engelsman van yourshot.nationalgeographic praat weer cheersWrite a comment
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, a National Park traversing parts of South Africa and Botswana and set in the Kalahari desert ecosystem.Time
This was at the crack of dawn on a summer's day...the rising sun just peaking over the horizon and setting the long dry grass "ablaze". Early morning is a great time to photograph Africa's big cats as they are normally quite active.Lighting
Besides being taken in the first golden light of day, I really like how the cheetah was actually shaded by a tree (out of frame to the left), creating lovely contrast between the sunlit grass and the cheetah.Equipment
I used a Nikon D3s and a Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II lens, as well as a 1.4x teleconverter. I rested this setup on a Badger beanbag over my SUV window.Inspiration
I love photographing Africa's diverse wildlife, and I love capturing moody photographs. This one combines both for me, and thus it's very fulfilling to me as an artist.Editing
I do minimal post-processing to my wildlife photos - trying my best to keep it natural, pull the best detail out of the RAW file, and enhance the mood and tonal contrast of the photo.In my camera bag
I have 2 Nikon camera bodies and 4 top end lenses: D3s, D800, 400mm f2.8 VR, 70-200mm f2.8 VR-II, 24-70mm f2.8 and 14-24mm f2.8 - along with some special accessories, gimbal head, remote trigger, flash etc.Feedback
The more you are out there in the field, the more you will be able to match luck and preparation to capture that perfect moment. It helps to get to know the behaviour and patterns of your wildlife subject to try and predict what they will do next. Don't try to manipulate the wild - capture what happens naturally...
