Hunting Flies

Gallery: WildlifePosted April 24, 2013616 views18 comments

We found this beauty lying in the shade of a big Camelthorn Tree. Her peace seemed to be disturbed more by a bunch of horrible flies buzzing around her head than a bunch of photographers! Initially I was cursing the spot she had chosen because of all the distracting surrounding habitat, but in the end I was actually surprised that the images came out pretty okay despite that. I shot wide open to isolate the subject as much as possible. Further I processed the image by blending two different RAW settings, one for the leopard and one for the surrounds. In the latter I reduced the contrast and clarity to minimise the distracting effect of the busy habitat.

Female Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Botswana / South Africa
Camera Model Canon EOS 1D Mark X
Shutter Speed 1/800 Sec.
Aperture Value f/5.6
ISO Speed 800
Lens EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM @ 400mm
Crop app. 65% of original.

Comments

18 comments

Comment posted by Murali Santhanam on April 24, 2013 at 2:23 PM

Looks irritated by the fleas. Well seen. Like the DOF.

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

Comment posted by Max Waugh on April 24, 2013 at 2:27 PM

Well, whatever you did in the processing, it worked. The first thing I noticed about this was the setting, which I like quite a bit. The background pattern/texture isn't overbearing and the pinkish hue is a nice change of pace from the typical yellows and greens I'd expect.

Max

Registered on September 26, 2008, 428 Posts, 2329 Comments

Comment posted by Steeve Marcoux on April 24, 2013 at 6:18 PM

Nice capture, i like it.

Registered on November 23, 2012, 15 Posts, 76 Comments

Comment posted by Don Westbrook on April 24, 2013 at 6:54 PM

Really nice color palette. I would really have liked to have been in the room as you were processing this image. There is a lot to learn from it.

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

Comment posted by Ajit Huilgol on April 24, 2013 at 10:35 PM

Fantastic clarity on the face, Vincent! The image seems to leap out of the monitor!

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

Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on April 25, 2013 at 2:30 AM

Hi Vincent, like the low angle/POV and the fact the cub is more interested in the buzzing flies than you. the 3/4 pose works well. The processing is easy and creates greater options and gives more control too, where needed. Good call all round with a lovely result.

Trust you are enjoying the 1DX, once set up it's awesome.

TFS
Steve

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

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on April 25, 2013 at 3:49 AM

Vincent,
Firstly the subject itself, a delightful pose and great expression, damn flies indeed!
As to the processing it makes for a very interesting image but I doubt that it was "easy" as stated above!

Registered on December 15, 2010, 1537 Posts, 4877 Comments

Comment posted by Martin Dunn on April 25, 2013 at 8:16 AM

wonderfully clear image Vincent. I won't pretend to understand what you did in the processing stage but the end result is superb. Lovely subtle hues.

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

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on April 25, 2013 at 9:07 AM

The soft light, the stare along with your technique, works very well here !
Jagdeep Rajput

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

Comment posted by Balan Vinod on April 25, 2013 at 12:32 PM

Love the concept Vincent.. nice dof choice ...well done

Balan Vinod

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

Comment posted by Rick Andrews on April 25, 2013 at 1:26 PM

Vincent I really like this image, you've captured the leopard and its distraction perfectly, and the work you've done on the background has certainly paid off.

Registered on December 31, 2011, 45 Posts, 222 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Marcellini on April 25, 2013 at 4:22 PM

Very nice, love the flies. Well done on the isolation.

Registered on November 27, 2007, 250 Posts, 2468 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on April 28, 2013 at 1:37 AM

This is stunning Vincent. Love the detail and expression especially. Nice job on the processing to get it to this result.

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

Comment posted by Jorne de Bruin on April 29, 2013 at 7:33 AM

Lovely image Vincent! I especially like the tonality and look on the leopards face!

Registered on June 26, 2008, 178 Posts, 2136 Comments

Comment posted by Ingrid Vekemans on April 29, 2013 at 11:55 AM

Nice bit of post processing, Vincent. Together with the excellent sharpness and the stunning beauty of this cat, it's just an excellent image.

Grt, Ingrid.

Registered on August 2, 2010, 138 Posts, 780 Comments

Comment posted by Karen Kane on April 29, 2013 at 3:14 PM

Wonderful shot Vincent. You've captured the essence of the moment, and her character/personality really comes across in that expression. Good composition and the processing choice worked out perfectly too.

Registered on August 4, 2012, 66 Posts, 726 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on May 2, 2013 at 4:50 PM

Love the angle here Vincent and the soft light.
Leopards are my Kgalagadi nemesis and I have not had one sighting in 7 consecutive trips.
How did you get so low here?

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

Comment posted by Brad Clinch on May 4, 2013 at 10:59 AM

Very nicely captured! Clever idea to use the two RAW images, the DOF truly make her pop. I really like the light in her eyes and the sharp facial details.

Registered on January 5, 2013, 37 Posts, 261 Comments