Vantage point
Cheetahs have exceptional eyesight and are able to pick out potential prey from several kilometres away; often using vantage points, such as tree stumps or term...
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Cheetahs have exceptional eyesight and are able to pick out potential prey from several kilometres away; often using vantage points, such as tree stumps or termite mounds to gain height, enabling them to see greater distances over terrain and vegetation.
We followed this large male as he confidently strolled through his territory; scent marking and looking for a prospective meal before finding a place to shelter from the merciless heat of the African sun
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We followed this large male as he confidently strolled through his territory; scent marking and looking for a prospective meal before finding a place to shelter from the merciless heat of the African sun
Read less
Apr, 2016Views
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Awards
Top Shot Award 22
Great Shot
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
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Peer Award
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This image was shot whilst working as a Ranger on a private reserve near to Hluhluwe, South AfricaTime
This photo was captured quite early one morning as cheetahs will more often than not patrol their territory either first thing in the morning before the sun and temperatures rise too high, or, late afternoon when the conditions start to cool. This male cheetah has a fairly large territory, with one of the borders running along a fence-line. Occasionally, we would find him patrolling and hunting along a particular stretch of track which runs parallel to the fence.Lighting
The lighting with this shot was quite difficult as it kept changing constantly, as the sun was rising quickly and the cloud cover was varying quite rapidly alsoEquipment
I captured this shot with a Nikon D7100 and a Sigma 120-300mm 2.8Inspiration
I had seen this particular cheetah patrol this stretch of his territory a few times and knew he favoured using various trees for scent marking or for gaining vantage points. I had waited several months to catch him at the right time during one of his territory patrols, giving him enough space so as not to disturb his natural behaviour. I followed him and positioned myself as he vanished in to the bush, waiting and hoping that he would reappear at the base of a particular tree which he would sometimes leap up in to and scan the surrounding land. This time, lady luck was with me and I was fortunate to capture the shot I had been hoping to for a considerable amount of timeEditing
I usually try not to over-process my photos as I like to keep my images as natural as possible. Unfortunately, due to 'user-error' and light conditions changing very rapidly, I tinkered with the contrast quite heavily.In my camera bag
I usually carry one telephoto and one wide angle. At the moment; I mainly carry a Nikon D7100, a Sigma 120-300mm 2.8 and a Sigma 17-70mm 2.8Feedback
Patience. Patience. Patience. Also, get to know your subject. If it hadn't been for countless attempts to find this animal in the right area at the right time and in the right conditions, I may not have been so fortunate.
