Cheetah and Cub
This image was shot at the Masai Mara game preserve in Kenya. She had just successfully lured a huge male lion away from her cub.
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This image was shot at the Masai Mara game preserve in Kenya. She had just successfully lured a huge male lion away from her cub.
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Jul, 2015Views
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Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Runner Up in Earth Day Photo Contest 2022
Contest Finalist in Earth Day Photo Contest 2022
Creative Winter Award
Top Shot Award 21
Winner in Wildlife Photo Challenge
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Animals Around Us Photo Contest
Lucky 3 Award
Contest Finalist in World Photography Day Photo Contest 2018
Winner in Wildlife Photo Challenge
Honorable Mention in Wildlife Photo Contest 2018
Contest Finalist in Explore Africa Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 3
Contest Finalist in Wildlife Photo Contest 2017
Contest Finalist in African Wildlife Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in We Love Animals Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Visions Of Africa Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Our Natural World Photo Contest
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Contest Finalist in 300 Furry Friends Photo Contest
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Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
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dawnmcilwainmerck
September 01, 2015
The colors of the phototure are amazing! However, it really captures the beauty of the animals in their natural habitat.
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DutchTouch
September 02, 2015
Welcome to ViewBug and if my shot doesn't win I hope this one does, it is fantastic!
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LeungevityPhotography
April 23, 2017
Was this in the serengetti? I think I have a picture with a cheetah on the same mound :)
Platinum
CarpeDeeM
April 29, 2017
Magnificent shot. Congratulations. It reminds me of a David Shepherd painting that I saw in London three decades ago. He is one of the world's leading wildlife painters.
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the Masai Mara Wildlife Preserve in Kenya.Time
If I remember correctly, the photo was shot in the early morning. Probably between 7-9 a.m. We were in Kenya to work at an orphanage in Kisumu. Midway through the trip, we took the 5-6 hour drive to the Masai Mara. We started our game drive shortly before sunrise. One of the vehicles in our group spotted a cheetah and her cub moving through some tall grass. We were a distance away and spotted a huge male lion moving in our direction. Eventually, we realized the cheetah and the lion were headed straight for each other. The lion was downwind. The cheetahs emerged from the grass right beside our safari vehicles. About twenty yards ahead, the lion emerged from the grass. The cheetah's hair stood up on her back and she charged the lion. Of course, being much faster, she outran the lion in short order. The lion gave up and the cheetah charged him again. She kept charging him and leading him further and further from her cub. After about ten minutes of this the cheetah disappeared in the tall grass and the lion wandered off in the other direction. We drove away to visit zebras and wildebeest for a bit. On our way out of the area, we came across the protective mama and her cub sitting on a termite mound in a perfect pose!Lighting
I had hoped to have some nice early morning "golden hour" light, but after the sunrise it became very overcast.Equipment
This was shot with a Nikon D3200 with a Nikkor 70-300mm lens.Inspiration
I was shooting a documentary about our trip and was shooting with a Panasonic HPX170 video camera when the initial encounter began. I got some great video but was disappointed that I didn't get many stills. When we found the cheetah and her cub on the termite mound I was so thankful that I got another chance to get a great shot of them.Editing
As I said earlier, it was pretty overcast. To this day I can remember the scene like it happened this morning. I wanted the shot to look just the way I remembered so I adjusted the brightness, contrast and color to match my memory and some of my other Masai Mara shots taken with "Golden Hour" light.In my camera bag
I usually shoot a combination of video and stills. For one trip to Kenya I purchased a Canon 5D Mark III and just stuck with it. It has been perfect for me. I usually pack my 5D Mark III body as well as a Canon 7D body. My two go to lenses are a Sigma 24-105 and a Sigma 150-600.Feedback
I've been on Safari in Kenya three times now and if there's one thing I've learned it is to have your gear and yourself ready all the time. The cheetahs in this shot posed for us for at least five minutes. I had plenty of time to get the shot I was after. I've also had seconds to pick up the camera and try to capture just the right image. Be ready and be patient! Learn your gear and know what you need to get the shot you're after.
