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Back off!!!
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Back off!!!

by Stephen Kaluski

Gallery: WildlifePosted March 15, 2012160 views3 comments
This is one of the images from a the series of shots taken with Mum and the two Leopard cubs. Shot looking up into the canopy as two Hyenas patrolled the ground sensing the food in the tree that mum had stashed away. Taken approx 6.40am just as the sun was coming up, metering proved fun with the BKG/FG.

Steve
Subject: Leopard in tree snarling (Panthera pardus)
Location: Botswana
Camera: Canon MKIV
Lens: 500f/4 - HH
Exposure: 1/250s at f/4 ISO400 +2/3 stop compensation
Crop: Slight crop (original capture vertical)

Comments

3 comments
Comment posted by Peter Cross on March 15, 2012 at 12:11 PM
Brings to mind the word coined to be a cross between a smile and a snarl, namely the snile. Very nice capture here with the display of teeth being especially meaningful. Good compositon, exposure, and wonderful detail in the fur. A keeper.
Registered on April 3, 2010, 271 Posts, 1342 Comments
Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on March 16, 2012 at 10:58 AM
The detail and clarity are superb here Steve! Also the exposure of the cat as well as the colors of the cat are spot on. I appreciate the good view of the dental structure, but do wish for a slightly better view of the eye(s). What really detracts a bit from my appreciatig of this as a whole though is that washed out white BG. Probably nothing you could have done to prevent this though, except perhaps repositioning and trying to get the tree canopy as a BG.
Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments
Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on March 16, 2012 at 11:32 AM
Hi Vincent, this was an awkward shots to take.

The vehicle was already at an incline on a termite mound forcing to shoot up. Mum was up with the two cubs and trying to reposition the vehicle would have been impossible with small saplings, shrubs and bushes all round, not withstanding the two hyenas patrolling. This was one of those shots I feel is about detail, nothing more, plus with the HA any eye contact in that split second of head turn, snarl and gesture would have been impossible. All good practice & fun, plus getting those techs right & the right compensation, hey ho...

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