sakevanpelt
FollowA Cheetah couple in the Cologne zoo in Germany. These two Cheetahs were among the most relaxed animals I've ever seen in a zoo. They were totally relaxed a...
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A Cheetah couple in the Cologne zoo in Germany. These two Cheetahs were among the most relaxed animals I've ever seen in a zoo. They were totally relaxed and behaved like 'normal' cheetahs. The habitat was nice and great for photographers! No glass!!! And still eye to eye on a really close distance! Amazing!
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Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in The Wonders of the World Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in A Low Vantage Point Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in ViewBug Photography Awards
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 37
Contest Finalist in African Wildlife Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in I Love Photography Photo Contest
Featured
Contest Finalist in Composition Techniques Photo Contest
People's Choice in Your Best Wild Animal Photograph Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Virtuoso
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NaturesHaven
November 07, 2016
Very well deserved People's Choice...........well done............excellent image...............
sakevanpelt
June 07, 2017
Thanks a lot! I'm really very happy with this result! Didn't expected it at first, until I saw it on a big screen on my PC!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken at the Kölner Zoo in Cologne, Germany.Time
During the afternoon at around 2 pm I was shooting this amazing couple for at least 30 minutes, hoping for the perfect look.Lighting
Only natural light was available. Animals don't like flashes ;) Thanks to the trees in the Cheetah area I got some amazing light conditions and a beautiful bokeh in the background.Equipment
The camera I used was a Sony A77II with a Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 SSM. I shot wide open to get all the attention to the Cheetah looking into the lens. There was plenty enough light to use ISO 200 and a shutter speed of 1/320 sec. Of course the in body stabilization was turned on ;)Inspiration
The living area of these two Cheetahs was amazing for both the animals as for photographers. The area was large and had some small hills, trees, and bushes. The animals were really relaxed and were just lying in the sun on top of one of the small hills. From a photographers point of view the area was amazing! There was no glass and no fencing so nothing could stop a nice and sharp photo! The viewpoint was placed in such a way that you could be on eye height with the animals! Big thanks to the Kölner zoo!!!Editing
In post processing (Lightroom) I cropped the photo a little to get the proportions right. Further I did some minor contrast, highlight, shadow, sharpening and color corrections also I darkened the background a little to make the animals come out better. Finally I did some noise reduction in Photoshop.In my camera bag
Normally my bag contains this: Camera: Sony A77II Lens1: Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 SSM Lens2: Sigma 35mm f1.4 ART Lens3: Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 ART Lens4: Minolta 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 Remote: Simple wired shutter release Tripod: Velbon Sherpa 5370D Filters: Genustech 77mm Eclipse ND Fader + various size adapters to fit it to every lens I have.Feedback
The best advise? Go to a zoo! Be patient, wild animals will never do the thing you want them to do at the moment you want them to do it. Try to look for a zoo where they have no glass or dense fence around the living area. If there is glass or a fence, use a large aperture (small f number) so you have as little distortion as possible. Also try to predict what the animals are doing, mostly they have a fixed routine or a favorite spot they like, find the best angle to make the photo you like. But above all, be patient!