The soul that speaks through the eyes, also kisses with a gaze.
After some constructive criticism, I've re-edited my favourite photo on viewbug. It is of a pair of Cheetah that I saw in 2011 when I was only 13. They wer...
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After some constructive criticism, I've re-edited my favourite photo on viewbug. It is of a pair of Cheetah that I saw in 2011 when I was only 13. They were both lying down in the grass and then at the same time decided to get up, momentarily forming a heart shape.
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Dec, 2014Views
1250
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Awards
Action Award
People's Choice in Be My Valentine Photo Challenge
Winner in Capturing the inner soul of animals Photo Challenge
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Peer Award
Outstanding Creativity
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Behind The Lens
Location
On the tropic of Capricorn loop near Mopani Camp in Kruger National Park in South Africa (http://www.krugerpark.com/?gclid=CIadv7-dm8ECFSrpwgodZBsAgw)Time
Quite early in the morning. I would wake up every day at 5am to go out spotting with my dad in our truck. After 2 weeks of this daily routine we stumbled upon two cheetahs at about 7:30am.Lighting
It was a very sunny morning and the Cheetahs were very close. At first they were on the road but I waited for them to move off the path so that I could get a more natural background.Equipment
With my Dad to keep me company, I would sit with the car window half way up with a small rice bag on top that I could rest my camera on. A lot of wild life spotting in Kruger Park is based on fleeting experiences, so it pays to be prepared. Upon seeing the pair, my Dad quickly followed them and then found a suitable place to park. It was important that he would turn off the engine to reduce vibration which could worsen the quality of my photograph.Inspiration
Well after about 10 minutes of walking around, they both lay down anti parallel to each other. I sat by and waited for them to get up. When they finally did get up, they momentarily formed a heart shape as they looked at each other before they walked off. In that moment I managed to take 1 photo, and even after 4 years, it remains my favorite picture.Editing
The original picture is on viewbug for those that want to see it (http://www.viewbug.com/member/yasseen#/Yasseen/gallery?sort=mostview). I have retouched out a bush behind the cheetahs to create a more smoother background, I cross processed and then desaturated the picture to give it a softer light than before.In my camera bag
A rice bag to use as a make-do tripod, some polos for a snack, a remote shutter release (useful for BULB photography and also keeping the camera steady on zoom photos), both a wide angle lens and a zoom lens, spare memory card and battery and the bag is waterproof.Feedback
In wild life reserves such as Kruger Park, the more cautious wild life prefer to go out when there are no people around. If you leave as early as possible or try to get back as late as allowed you might catch animals on their way to or on their way back from a hunt or forage. By leaving early morning, we caught these cheetahs out and about looking for a place to rest up. This is convenient to apply to day to day photography, as it provides the opportunity to photograph nocturnal animals like owls during daylight.
