Cheetah kill

Gallery: WildlifePosted July 15, 2011806 views17 comments

This was taken shortly after leaving camp, (looking at the EXIF 6.48am), as it was still quite fresh and there was quite a heavy due on the drown. This female took about 10 minutes before she relaxed, constantly scouring the horizon for any other competitors and to drawn breathe, as her heart pump & raced from the chase. Slowly she settled down and began to feed, knowing she had little time, as the echoing sound of Hyenas were not far off.

Steve

Subject: Female Cheetah with kill, early morning (Acinonyx jubatus)
Location: Masai Mara
Camera: Canon MKIII
Lens: 500f/f/4 - handheld on bean bag
Exposure: 1/500s at f5.6 ISO400 0 stop compensation
Crop: Slight cropped for presentation (original capture horizontal)

Comments

17 comments

Comment posted by Darren Colello on July 15, 2011 at 2:16 PM

Stunning detail and lighting Stephen. Exceptional work, well done.

Registered on July 27, 2009, 175 Posts, 1100 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on July 15, 2011 at 6:40 PM

Wonderful image with the light showing both the cheetah and impala faces with eye contact, a really dramatic shot with how the cheetah is looking after the chase, nice job in getting this, well done.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by Anand Narayanan on July 15, 2011 at 8:56 PM

Fantastic Stuff !! no nits for me whatsoever ! I actually like the stick through the dead gazelle's eye

Registered on October 25, 2009, 110 Posts, 835 Comments

Comment posted by Guy Runco on July 15, 2011 at 9:23 PM

Truly an excellent shot Steve! I'm not wild about the position of the animals in the frame, that's my only (extremely minor) nit.

Registered on September 9, 2008, 77 Posts, 705 Comments

Comment posted by Joe James on July 15, 2011 at 10:09 PM

Great job Stephen! Great angle, lighting and composition.

Registered on November 20, 2009, 89 Posts, 808 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on July 16, 2011 at 1:17 AM

You know I love this Steve...excellent light, angle and moment.

Registered on March 22, 2011, 385 Posts, 2068 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on July 16, 2011 at 2:18 AM

Thanks guys.

Seem to be having a blast with this one Morkel.

Registered on March 25, 2007, 189 Posts, 1064 Comments

Comment posted by Brad Hill on July 16, 2011 at 8:57 AM

HI Steve,

Very interesting shot - definitely holds one's eye! I'll be real picky here - but don't let that make you think I don't like the shot as posted - I do!

I'm in agreement with Guy about the positioning of the animals in the frame - my thinking is that making a very subtle shift of the subjects to the right of the frame would add a lot here. If you have no more room on either side this could be very easily acccomplished with Content-Aware Scaling in Photoshop. It looks to me like a few of the highlights on the belly and leg of the more unfortunate of the pair are blown (or close to blown). I think I'd pull these back a little and perhaps selectively back off the contrast on the victim (and, possibly on the entire lower 1/3 of the image. And...that's it - see...picky but not about too many things!

Cheers...thanks for sharing this..

Brad

Registered on May 29, 2007, 431 Posts, 6061 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on July 16, 2011 at 9:21 AM

Stunning frame ! I like how the eyes of both the animals are visible, agree with Brad on controlling whites here.
I may be tempted to clone out the grass blade in front of deer.
Jagdeep Rajput

Registered on April 29, 2008, 686 Posts, 2857 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on July 16, 2011 at 9:42 AM

I'll be real picky here - Brad, I'm going to Avian.

On the TIFF the whites are just holding, sadly FF. Interesting about the Contrast as I have made a few references to pulling them back elsewhere. Should look closer to home. LOL.

cheers
Steve

Registered on March 25, 2007, 189 Posts, 1064 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on July 17, 2011 at 11:20 AM

A lot of power here. I think the suggestions offered have some merit, yet agree this is solid as posted. I don't know what you have left in the full file to work with, but I notice an alternative crop (thinking something close to the left half of the frame) makes for a good vertical and it has a different impact.

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on July 17, 2011 at 12:38 PM

Cheers Lon, sadly as I mentioned, it FF, bar a hint above.

Steve

Registered on March 25, 2007, 189 Posts, 1064 Comments

Comment posted by Gorazd Golob on July 20, 2011 at 3:38 PM

Great photo. I like the eye contact from both animals, even if one is gone, and great light. I still have to capture the cheetah hunt or kill.
Regards, Gorazd

Registered on December 28, 2010, 23 Posts, 53 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on July 21, 2011 at 7:20 PM

Wonderful detail - congrats on the WP!
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on July 22, 2011 at 12:35 PM

Thanks Sandy, rather surprised, but a nice feeling.

Steve

Registered on March 25, 2007, 189 Posts, 1064 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Olsen on July 25, 2011 at 11:55 AM

Stephen, Congrats on a well deserved WP!
I'd love to witness this!

Registered on October 19, 2006, 306 Posts, 1571 Comments

Comment posted by James Campbell on August 25, 2011 at 5:48 AM

Fantastic moment, beautiful light! Nothing more to add - well captured

Registered on January 12, 2009, 48 Posts, 377 Comments