Cheetah Ablaze

Gallery: WildlifePosted April 7, 2013218 views12 comments

There's something about the quality of light in the Kalahari (particularly the golden hour) that just blows my mind. This young male cheetah was walking among the three-thorn shrubs north of Nossob rest camp (close to Cubitje Quap waterhole) in the first rays of dawn light and the scene was just magical. I particularly like the contrast of the blazing golden light on the scenery and the soft light on the cheetah (who was walking in the shade of a nearby tree).

Techs:
Nikon D3s
Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II
1.4x teleconverter
f5.6 | 1/640 SS | ISO-1600

Comments

12 comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on April 7, 2013 at 11:10 PM

I agree that the mix of light here is stunning!!! Love the way the light is kissing the leading side of the cheetah's face as it exits the shadows. 1600 iso is "right in the wheelhouse" for the D3s. The only thing I might suggest Morkel would be to consider toning down the foreground grasses just slightly to make it less attention grabbing. I bet this one would make an impressive large print.

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

Comment posted by Basri Akcasoy on April 8, 2013 at 3:00 AM

Excellent morning light, nice pose and sharpness. TFS.
Now I'm sure that I have to rework all my cheetah images from starting beginning (Raw) to reach natural cheetah color. Thank you for your comment and for this excellent photo which is good example to me.

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

Comment posted by Martin Dunn on April 8, 2013 at 3:29 AM

Lovely shot Morkel.
I really like to gold colours that frame the cheetah - I'm happy with the foreground grasses as they complete the frame. I feel if you toned them down they may become too close in colour to the cheetah. As it stands, even though the grass is brighter than the main subject, it helps draw your gaze to the cat.

Registered on February 20, 2013, 198 Posts, 1011 Comments

Comment posted by Balan Vinod on April 8, 2013 at 6:40 AM

Morkel ...very nicely crafted image, and the light is amazing. You have got the colors right, and the frame works very well. Well Done

Balan Vinod

Registered on March 20, 2006, 889 Posts, 2312 Comments

Comment posted by Don Westbrook on April 8, 2013 at 10:50 AM

Just spot on. A magnificent specimen well captured.

Registered on January 4, 2013, 11 Posts, 332 Comments

Comment posted by Murali Santhanam on April 8, 2013 at 2:39 PM

The golden light is amazing. The confident stance of the Cheetah and the background all complement each other very well. The eyes of the Cheetah matches the oranges of the environment. Love this image.

Registered on July 31, 2008, 43 Posts, 331 Comments

Comment posted by Ajit Huilgol on April 8, 2013 at 10:29 PM

Fantastic image, Morkel! It looks like the cheetah is on fire! The oof grasses in the foreground, in fact, add to the 'fire' effect!

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

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on April 9, 2013 at 8:23 AM

Great light n beautiful image! I was about to write, what Dr. Ajit wrote, about the foreground grass. An image on fire for sure.
Jagdeep Rajput

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

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on April 9, 2013 at 5:30 PM

Thank you all so much for the kind comments.
I already toned down the FG grass somewhat, and doing it more made it look bleh

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

Comment posted by Kathy Barnhart on April 10, 2013 at 12:45 AM

Stunning shot. Such an elegant animal, though this one looks kind of thin. Just beautiful light, colors, and clarity.

Registered on November 11, 2011, 404 Posts, 1639 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on April 10, 2013 at 11:57 AM

Nice job, Morkel, if showing us this beautiful cheetah in sweet (but apparently uneven) lighting. The active pose and face and amount of side/backlighting make the shot.

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

Comment posted by Marsel van Oosten on April 11, 2013 at 5:46 AM

Great pose and tones Morkel.

Registered on March 9, 2004, 285 Posts, 2277 Comments