Cheetah
A stunning male cheetah, taken in Kruger National Park, South Africa.
A stunning male cheetah, taken in Kruger National Park, South Africa.
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Nov, 2013Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Endangered Species Photo Contest
Featured
People's Choice in Wildlife And Landscapes Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
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Top 20 rank
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the Kruger National Park in South Africa. We were so busy watching a pair of zebra behind us that we didn't notice this magnificent cheetah until he was less than 10 yards from our car!Time
Taken late afternoon towards the end of our game driving for the day.Lighting
Anyone who has been to Africa will tell you there is something magical about the light there. In the middle of the day it can be harsh and glaring, but in the early mornings and late afternoons the whole landscape takes on this beautiful golden glow. It really is a photographer's dream!Equipment
Fairly simple, my old Canon 450D and a 100-400 telephoto lens borrowed from my Dad (I loved it so much I bought one of my own as soon as I got home!). As we were driving I wasn't using a tripod or monopod, but just holding the camera and lens, which gave me far more flexibility to photograph moving animals.Inspiration
A glorious male cheetah stalking past your car and marking his territory here and there - what could be uninspiring about that?!Editing
I cropped this photo a little to remove a scrubby bit of branch that I felt detracted from the image. Other than that, no post-processing here.In my camera bag
When I took this photo, my trusty Canon 450D was my only SLR body, and I had borrowed a 100-400 Canon telephoto lens from my Dad. Although I have now upgraded to the Canon 5D Mk III I still love my 450D, and I always have it with me as a back-up, usually with an 18-55 basic Canon lens just in case something comes too close for my beloved telephoto lens!Feedback
Get to Africa, get to a National Park, explore and wait! A huge part of any successful wildlife photography is patience and luck, so wait for long enough and you might well get lucky! In Africa you're sure to find something you want to photograph, whether it's one of the Big Five (or one of the Little Five!), local culture or a stunning landscape.
