Kalahari Cheetah

Gallery: WildlifePosted April 21, 201681 views8 comments

This was the only Cheetah we spotted during our 6 days camping in Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana.
In the past we have had far better sightings, and with some light!
EOS iDX
200-400 mm F4 at 519 mm
F 5.6
ISO 1600
1/640

Comments

8 comments

Comment posted by Jerry Austin on April 21, 2016 at 7:52 AM

You bemoan the lack of light, but I find the soft light very pleasing in this shot. The over the shoulder look is great and really shows off those gorgeous eyes. Well done.

Registered on January 6, 2012, 651 Posts, 3448 Comments

Comment posted by Charles Bell on April 21, 2016 at 12:55 PM

I like the subtle blurring of the grasses around the Cheetah, while it is extremely sharp. You must have been there during the rainy season to have that much grass. The overall soft tones of the image are very pleasing to the eye.

Registered on February 21, 2016, 187 Posts, 192 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Sandor on April 21, 2016 at 12:59 PM

Ken: this is a fabulous cheetah shot. The pose, the soft light and the oof environment are exceptionally good. Hang it! Richard

Registered on January 12, 2014, 453 Posts, 1625 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on April 23, 2016 at 10:06 AM

Good job of keeping the cat in focus and allowing the surroundings to go soft.

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

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on April 25, 2016 at 3:53 AM

Thanks everybody, the lack of light in my opinion enhances the image, but I still do not like using high ISO.

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

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on April 25, 2016 at 1:44 PM

The cheetah really pops in this shot; the soft grasses make a wonderful frame.

Did you have a teleconverter on the lens to get 519mm or is that a typo?

The 1D-X, in my experience, has very little noise at ISO1600. I admit the higher ISO performance takes some getting used to.

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on April 28, 2016 at 11:06 AM

Jim,
There is a built in 1.4 converter in this lens, sorry for not explaining.

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

Comment posted by Raoul Breaux Jr on May 1, 2016 at 10:50 PM

What a great image this is!! Well done, Ken. It is so inspiring when a great subject is met by an artist.

Registered on April 27, 2016, 20 Posts, 142 Comments