About that tail...

Hello Morkel

You can't be serious to consider canning it? Amazing Light makes this a Very Powerful Image. Sharp expressive eye & Catchlight. Maybe a little Tight but Very Pleasing Image.

Would be happy to have in my Gallery.

Like to see Large Image? Thanks for sharing!

Bill

I would keep this for the fantastic lighting alone. Pity about the clipped tail, but the rest of the subject and the already alluded to light more than make up for that tiny blip. Now, how about a larger image?

Hello Morkel

Another Comment..... Just can not get enough of this Stunning Light & Beautiful subject.

VERY POWERFUL Image !!!!! Thanks for sharing .

Bill

In my opinion the lighting and pose more than make up for the clipped tail! Great shot!
-Cam

Bummer about the clipped tail. But the light and body position are very attractive. This photo has all kinds of publishing potential IMO Great Photo Morkel!

Ken Archer

Definitely a KEEP on this one Morkel. The lighting and intense gaze in the Cheetah's eye make the shot, tail clip or no tail clip.

I would say it is a definite keeper. Personally I wouldn't even think of of junking a really nice photo for something so insignificant as clippping a bit of tail. I think there are way too many critique "rules" in nature photography and from time to time it is just fine to break with tradition or the "rules".

Morkel. Stunning image in great light. I am one for having the whole animal in unless it is a specific head or other body shot. Its all a matter of taste. I would still keep it.

Remember the NPN critique galleries are photographers suggesting improvements to photographers! It is a standard well beyond what is required for publication and appreciation by the rest of the public. This is terrific light and terrific expression. Would one prefer to have no out-of-focus foreground and for the tail to be curling into the frame? Of course. Still this is excellent and a real "keeper." ...but you already knew that!

Undoubtedly a wonderful image Mokel, the light is stunning. The color of the eyes really grabs me as well. I'm old school and prefer to see the entire tail. I would keep the image for it's other strengths, unless I had a bunch of similar images with the entire tail.

Thanks for the thoughtful comments and discussion, everyone...
I would never really "can" this one, as I agree the light and subject are great. I was just really frustrated with myself for cutting this one off...

And I agree, we tend to be harder on ourselves and on each others' work than the majority of people would be who get to "view" this image.

I would of course keep it Morkel. I don't think people should be influenced to much by these critiques on what is or isn't a good photograph. I think the comments on here are a good starting point of things to consider when making an image, but think a lot of people take them too much as a rule of things when they are really more thoughts and ideas. For me, I use the feedback form this site to give me new or additional things to think about. I used to use a lot of it learn when I was new, but then found myself turing into a clone of every other photographer and feel I lost my personal approach and feel to creating images. I actually started a topic about this very thing in the RMNP Forum and had found many others were actually feeling the same way. it might be a good idea to read it...many people commented on it.

Actually this is one of the reasons, I haven't posted much lately...I felt I needed to find myself in my images again and not be so influenced. So, I guess for me, the question does open a can of worms in a sense.