Cheetah in the sun
Mar, 2016Views
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Contest Finalist in Visions Of Africa Photo Contest
Peer Award
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Namibia. We entered the enclosure that the cheetahs were kept in. They were very aggressive to begin with and snarled at us from behind the fence. The keeper said it would be alright for us to go in and he fed them immediately which quietened them down. It was still quite nerve wracking, and we were warned not to let them get behind us.Time
This photo was taken just as the sun was going down about 7pm. I think you can probably tell by the slight yellow/orange colour in the photograph.Lighting
Anyone who has been to Namibia will know that the sun going down is usually accompanied by a sky anywhere between Yellow and Red.Equipment
I used a 7D mark 11 and the 70-200 lens. We were in the compound with the cheetahs and they were moving around so a tripod was not recommended. We also had to carry thick sticks and hold them in front of us if the cheetahs approached, so our hands were not free. In fact it was quite hard to hold the stick in front of you and take photos at the same time.Inspiration
We were on a photographic trip and our leader was very keen to get a photo of the cheetahs up high on the dunes. We were just about to give up when they started walking up the hill. At the top, this cheetah lay down to clean up and we had time to photograph him looking over the dunes.Editing
Yes, but very little. Just a little contrast and sharpening. I also cropped it slightly.In my camera bag
For this trip I had a full bag but normally I have a 7dmark 11, Macro 100mm, 70-200 lens and a 15-55 lens. Cleaners, extra batteries and extra cards. Some filters. Anything else will depend on what I am expecting to shoot on that trip.Feedback
Firstly, because Namibia is mostly desert and very sunny, it is best to do all photographing in the early morning and late afternoon to evening. This photo was taken after the cheetah had been fed, he was much more relaxed and therefore easier to approach for this type of shot. Needless to say these particular animals were tame in that they were used to people on foot but they are still not pets. It would not be advisable to approach a cheetah in the wild.
