Mr Special
Mr Special
Meet Mr Special, a regular visitor to the Kwara concession. Our first encounter with Mr Special was the previous evening where he wa...
Read more
Mr Special
Meet Mr Special, a regular visitor to the Kwara concession. Our first encounter with Mr Special was the previous evening where he was found in one of his favourite hunting grounds near Splash camp. He was hungry, stalked some impala at one point but they didn't come close enough for a kill. Â
The following morning we were on our game drive when it came over on the radio that he had moved from his spot and the guides from Splash were tracking his spore. As he was heading our way we helped out and it wasn't long before Dave & JD had picked up his tracks on a sandy road, some 12km from where we left him the previous evening. It wasn't much long until we found Mr Special, wandering between scratching posts and termite mounds looking for a hearty breakfast. We hung out with him for a bit waiting for the other guides to arrive before we continued with our drive. Â
Later on in the morning we returned to spend a bit more time with him and watched him take down a Reedbuck. More of that later ....
Read less
Meet Mr Special, a regular visitor to the Kwara concession. Our first encounter with Mr Special was the previous evening where he was found in one of his favourite hunting grounds near Splash camp. He was hungry, stalked some impala at one point but they didn't come close enough for a kill. Â
The following morning we were on our game drive when it came over on the radio that he had moved from his spot and the guides from Splash were tracking his spore. As he was heading our way we helped out and it wasn't long before Dave & JD had picked up his tracks on a sandy road, some 12km from where we left him the previous evening. It wasn't much long until we found Mr Special, wandering between scratching posts and termite mounds looking for a hearty breakfast. We hung out with him for a bit waiting for the other guides to arrive before we continued with our drive. Â
Later on in the morning we returned to spend a bit more time with him and watched him take down a Reedbuck. More of that later ....
Read less
Nov, 2019Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in One Is Beautiful Photo Contest
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
All Star
Genius
Superior Skill
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Behind The Lens
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This is a male cheetah, known as Special. He is a regular visitor to the Kwara concession in Botswana.Time
Our first encounter with Special was the previous evening where he was found in one of his favourite hunting grounds near Splash camp. He was hungry, stalked some impala at one point but they didn't come close enough for a kill. The following morning we were on our game drive when it came over on the radio that he had moved from his spot and the guides from Splash were tracking his spore. As he was heading our way we helped out and it wasn't long before we had picked up his tracks on a sandy road, some 12km from where we left him the previous evening. It wasn't much long until we found Mr Special, wandering between scratching posts and termite mounds looking for a hearty breakfast. We hung out with him for a bit waiting for the other guides to arrive before we continued with our drive. That's when I took this shot. Later on in the morning we returned to spend a bit more time with him and watched him take down a Reedbuck.Lighting
All natural lighting, just a case of getting in the right spot so the sun is on the subject.Equipment
Nikon D500 plus 300mm F4 PF lens and 1.4TCiiiInspiration
The love of cheetahs and seeing magnificent creatures in their natural habitat.Editing
Not much, I just cropped the frame to a longer aspect ratio to suit the lying position. A little dodge and burning around the face to highlight the eyes a bit more.In my camera bag
Usually an Olympus EM-1 mk i with 12-40mm F2.8 & Olympus EM-1 mk ii with leica 50-200mm F2.8-4.0 lens plus the above mentioned Nikon combo D500 plus 300mm F4 PF lens and 1.4TCiii. I've just traded in the Nikon for another Olympus EM-1 mk ii, the Oly Pro 300mm F4 & a 1.4 TCFeedback
Be patient, get to know your subject and it's behaviours.
