Cheetah Take-off

Gallery: WildlifePosted April 27, 2012311 views17 comments

This image was captured during our last visit to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (February 2012).

I'd never seen the park this green (after some good rains) - but that also means that in places it was hard to find game as the grass was long. We spent our last afternoon following a female cheetah and her 3 large cubs walking up-river towards some water. All of a sudden the cubs exploded into an action-packed 20 seconds of horseplay which I did my best to capture.

I rue the fact that I was shooting wide open as opposed to f8 (this was due to me trying to smooth out the BG for portraits as they were walking along quietly without any sign of the energy that was about to explode, light was also poorish at times with clouds moving in front of the setting sun...I also fit the converter to the lens just a few minutes before this as I wanted them bigger in the frame...the choices we tend to make!! ).

I'm still happy with this as most shots you see with cheetahs caught nicely in mid-air are set-up shots at rehabilitation centres...whereas this is a totally wild cheetah in natural motion.

Techs:
Nikon D3s with Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II + 1.4xTC @ 700mm
f5.6 @ 1/800 SS @ ISO-1400
about 80% of original frame

Comments

17 comments

Comment posted by John Launstein on April 27, 2012 at 6:37 PM

Oh man, Morkel...this is excellent. Sure, hindsight being 20/20 as they say, maybe you would have done things a little differently. But you did a whole lot right here and I'm not sure the image could be appreciably improved in the field beyond what it already is. Wonderful sharpness and detail, near-perfect (or in fact perfect?) timing, great comp, nice open light, excellent look on the face of the cheetah. Maybe the overall habitat/background is a little uninteresting, but then again this makes things simple and uncluttered...and it's where the animal was: out in the wild right where it chose to be on this day.

For me, it's two thumbs up.

Registered on April 5, 2011, 223 Posts, 1193 Comments

Comment posted by Jenaya Launstein on April 27, 2012 at 10:11 PM

Wow, Morkel, just wow!

The only thing is that I was wondering what the white thing was behind the cheetah. I keep finding my eye trailing off to that area. Only a minor nit in an otherwise outstanding image, though! Great job, Morkel!

Registered on February 8, 2011, 254 Posts, 1302 Comments

Comment posted by Ajit Huilgol on April 28, 2012 at 9:19 AM

Stunning capture, Morkel! Can't think how anyone can better this!

Registered on December 19, 2008, 302 Posts, 2055 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on April 28, 2012 at 12:13 PM

It's a cracker !!!

Jagdeep Rajput
PS. I agree with Jenaya about the white patch.

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

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on April 28, 2012 at 4:27 PM

Thanks for your feedback, folks.
The 'white' is actually a feather that this youngster had been playing with seconds before launching into this run. I prefer not to clone elements out of my natural history images that formed an integral part of the scene, so it'll probably stay

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

Comment posted by Daniel & Loana on April 29, 2012 at 1:01 PM

Wonderful shot. Great timing and pose.

Congrats
D&L

Registered on October 7, 2008, 166 Posts, 3044 Comments

Comment posted by William Bickle on April 30, 2012 at 10:55 AM

Hello Morkel

A keeper, Congrats,

Thanks for Sharing

Bill

Registered on June 13, 2011, 183 Posts, 1702 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on April 30, 2012 at 2:08 PM

Morkel, you made a good image out of what undoubtedly must have been a flashing moment; well done.

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on April 30, 2012 at 3:41 PM

I cannot image a more perfect running posture. Great job stopping the action at that focal length and shutter combo. I like all four feet off the ground!

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

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on April 30, 2012 at 8:45 PM

Beautiful image with the feet in mid-air like that. I'd consider cloning the feather (?) in the background.

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on May 1, 2012 at 9:41 PM

Gee Morkel, your tone sounds almost apologetic!? I find no fault with this great photo. Limited dof is perfect for this situation imho. Super sharp and great timing!!!

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Joe James on May 1, 2012 at 11:02 PM

Wonderful shot Morkel!

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

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on May 3, 2012 at 6:07 AM

thanks so much for the wonderful responses...

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

Comment posted by Sally Wood on May 3, 2012 at 5:59 PM

Wow, this is quite an action shot........... beauatiul animal, you captured the grace and speed beautifully!

Registered on March 8, 2012, 39 Posts, 509 Comments

Comment posted by David Hemmings on May 3, 2012 at 9:29 PM

A wonderful capture Morkel, great action, perfect exposure, well done

Registered on May 26, 2006, 178 Posts, 1680 Comments

Comment posted by Luca Mussato on May 10, 2012 at 4:28 PM

This means an action shot. Personally i think the feather should stay it gives a sort of extra speed, i mean it is so fast that make it fly away ... I don't know if it makes sense. Personally, i would try to darken the bg to make the cheetah pop a bit more.

Luca

Registered on November 14, 2006, 118 Posts, 855 Comments

Comment posted by Basri Akcasoy on May 11, 2012 at 6:11 PM

This is the cheetah, thank you very much for sharing.

Registered on February 16, 2012, 118 Posts, 767 Comments