Spotted Hyena

Gallery: WildlifePosted December 26, 2012169 views10 comments

Here's a shot from our Namibia trip this September. We had a few good opportunities with Spotted Hyena in Etosha National Park. I like this image because this is often how I have seen hyena in the past, crouching mostly hidden in the grass. It was taken out our vehicle window and is cropped to about 60% of the original.

7D 500F4 1/1250 F5, iso 500

Comments

10 comments

Comment posted by Ajit Huilgol on December 27, 2012 at 5:53 AM

That is how I have often seen lions, too, and they seem to blend in with the brown grass even better! I wish, however, in this image you had not cropped, but left the hyena as it was, small in the frame so to speak. Different strokes.... I guess.

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

Comment posted by Dottie Short on December 27, 2012 at 8:38 AM

I would describe this image as less is more. All it takes is one eye with a twinkle. Nice shot Nate.

Registered on April 12, 2010, 61 Posts, 375 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on December 27, 2012 at 9:13 AM

Thanks Dottie and Ajit. Ajit the main reason for cropping was to emphasize the eye which for me is the focal point of the image. If the animal is smaller the eye kind of gets lost in the frame.

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by Brad Hill on December 27, 2012 at 9:41 AM

Hi Nate,

Cool shot. I agree with you that the eye is the key here - and that backing off would have diminished it far too much. As a matter of fact, the eye is almost lost in the regular size image here - it shines and draws one's eye MUCH better in the larger version. Not sure about this, but thinking my personal preference would be for positioning the subject more to the right - almost reversing the amount of space on either side of the hyena. But this assumes that the background and foreground would be the same overall as in the version above.

Cheers...thanks for popping in here!

Brad

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

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on December 27, 2012 at 5:53 PM

nice "hidden" mood to this, Nate
my initial feeling was the same as Brad suggested - a wish for more space on the LHS and less on the RHS...

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

Comment posted by Gary Reed on December 28, 2012 at 9:24 PM

Yep...you spotted him alright. Sneaky devil

Registered on September 19, 2009, 198 Posts, 1074 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on December 28, 2012 at 11:54 PM

Great shot of this predator acting like a predator. I really like the clean view of the eye.

Sweet One Nate

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Guy Runco on December 29, 2012 at 9:37 PM

Cool hyena shot Nate, I agree with Brad in thinking that the image may benefit from the animal being farther to the right.

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

Comment posted by Roger Kirchen on December 30, 2012 at 8:30 PM

I like the one eye image. This is a predator: needs to see and needs to remain hidden at the same time (until attack time). I'm sure you are in the center of his/her field of vision! I agree with trying to move the animal to the right and, if it were mine, try placing the eye in the center (at least horizontally), i.e. in the center of the field of vision.

All the very best for 2013.

Registered on March 6, 2011, 95 Posts, 847 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on December 31, 2012 at 1:39 PM

Thanks for your comments everyone, I will try it with a centered crop.

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments