Cheetah
Jan, 2016Views
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johnnywacker
June 22, 2021
I gotta say, you always fantastic photos. I'm pretty jealous lol. Good job!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I was on safari in Namibia when I had the amazing opportunity to photograph this cheetah. It was my first time to Africa so I wasn't sure what to expect and what shooting conditions would be like.Time
This was shot in the afternoon with some cloud cover and haze that mitigated any harsh highlights and shadows from the sun.Lighting
The perfect lighting was completely serendipitous. I wish I could claim credit, but the shout out goes to Mother Nature on this one.Equipment
We were moving a lot so I could really only bring a camera base (Nikon D7000) and my Tamaron 70-200 F2.8. This is my go-to lens anytime I head out to shoot wildlife.Inspiration
While I consider myself a travel photographer, somehow I always end up focusing on nature and wildlife. Animals are one of my favorite subjects since they have their own personalities and every interaction is unique. In this case, I was lying in the grass waiting for a good shot when this cheetah noticed us and became intrigued (and brave) enough to sit and stare in our direction (we felt safe since cheetah attacks on humans are extremely rare). I must have taken fifty shots and lucked out with this one.Editing
This one didn't require too much post-processing. I just pulled up the shadows and reduced the highlights then used the clarity slider to make his spots really pop. Lastly, there were a couple distracting elements in the frame so I brought it over to photoshop and took them out quickly with the spot remover tool.In my camera bag
When I travel I am usually away from home for a month or two at a time. This means I have extremely limited space and weight available for gear. I also know the risk of damage or theft is high, so I try not to take anything that would be devastating to lose. My travel go-tos are a Nikon D7000, a Nikkor 18-105, a Tokina 11-16 F2.8 a few polarizing filters and a Joby gorilla pod (my absolute favorite travel accessory). If I have the space and know there will be an abundance of wildlife where I am going then I pack a Tamaron 70-200 F2.8 and a Nikkor 50 F1.8.Feedback
Have patience and make sure to know your gear well. The last thing you want to do after waiting hours for the perfect moment is to miss the shot because you didn't have your settings correct. Also, (and this may be the most repeated piece of advice on photography but it is important) make sure you try the shot from several different angles. This shot worked because I laid completely down on the ground and shot through the grass.The shots I took a few minutes earlier while standing ended up looking like snapshots instead of a composed piece of art.
