Salayexa
One of the most beautiful Leopards in the Sabi Sands Conservancy in South Africa
One of the most beautiful Leopards in the Sabi Sands Conservancy in South Africa
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May, 2016Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Explore Africa Photo Contest
Peer Award
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Superb Composition
Superior Skill
Outstanding Creativity
Genius
All Star
Emotions
Impressed
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LindieK
October 29, 2016
Thnx...yes , she was grooming herself to within an inch of her life that morning. Loved it !
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LindieK
October 29, 2016
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This image was taken at Elephant Plains, a property within the Sabi Sands Conservancy in South AfricaTime
The Game Drive sets out just before 5am in the morning and we encountered this beautiful Female Leopard, named Salayexa, about an hour later. She was out marking her territory and we followed her through the bush. She sat down on the side of the termite mound and started preening thoroughly. Every inch of her received attention and she even ‘washed’ behind her ears !Lighting
One never battles for light in Africa. The first light is always soft and the Bush smells crisp. Only problem sometimes is that the sky can look washed out. So, I always try and expose for the Sky, therefore underexpose by a stop or two.Equipment
I used my Nikon D7100 with my 70-200 Nikkor Lens. I was on a Game Viewing Vehicle and was shooting free hand. No flash ever used on any animal in the Bush, is the cardinal rule.Inspiration
Africa inspires me. To be amongst wild animals in their natural habitat, being able to ‘watch the Bush TV unfold’ is enough inspiration.Editing
I shoot raw, and use Lightroom for my PP. so, besides doing the very basic and tweaking the (underexposed) exposure a bit, sharpening very slightly and cropping ever so slightly ( she filled the frame nicely) I didn’t do much else. Because one is able to shoot on very low ISO thanks to the excellent light, noise is not an issue.In my camera bag
These days a Nikon D600 and D500 as well as a 300 mm Prime with 1.4 Converter , 105 mm Macro and 70-200 for the Bush.Feedback
First step is to GET there ( wherever THERE is). Know which lens would serve you best from a Game Vehicle as they can get closer to the animals than one can on a self-drive through Kruger. Treat yourself if you can afford it and end your holiday at one of the luxury Game Lodges in South Africa...it’s worth every cent. That’s where you will get beautiful pictures like this. And the best tip : Once you are there, be ready. Never switch your camera off , the Bush gives something extraordinary in the blink of an eye. Don’t set your mind on a specific image ..that hardly happens. Take images of what Nature offers at the time and set your camera on rapid shoot and press that button long and hard. And always have spare batteries and a spare SD card. One fills them up quickly in the Bush on rapid shooting.
