One Eye

[Loi Nguyen]

This is One Eye (aka. the Airstrip Male Leopard) at the Mala Mala Game Reserve. He is a powerful leopard and a fighter. He was born in a litter of two male cubs, but was separated by his Mother and brother during a fight with the hyenas and was left to fend for himself. Fortunate for him, his Grand Mother had just lost her own cub and was nearby, so she adopted him and raised him to adulthood. He lost his right eye in a fight with a bigger leopard. His territory is near the airstrip, thus the name, and he likes ot use the road.

On this cloudy late afternoon, he got up from a slumber sleep and began walking very slowly along the road. Our guide moved ahead and positioned the vehicle so that we could catch him on his good eye, but that was not meant to be. Every time I tried to photographed him, he would turn his head ever so slightly to expose his bad eye.

1DX
100-400 II @ 300mm
1/160
f5.6
ISO-1600
Fill flash ETTL, -2EV

HH

Conversion to B&W with LR CC

I think B&W is tough, i have not learned the rope, but want to give this image a try.

Thank you for commenting on my previous images.

Loi

[Morkel Erasmus]

Hi Loi - a real gritty fighter this, have heard about him.
I like the low angle you achieved, as well as the great pose. I don't mind seeing the "bad eye" as it gives him character and lifts this from being just another male leopard.
I like the toning but would have worked harder to achieve more tonal contrast between the BG and the subject...and also it looks like he might be leaning to the left (also looking at his front paw line).

[haseeb badar]

Hi Loi -- Straight way commenting after seeing the image and not even bothered to read what you and Morkel has said ! I loved it all the way ! great angle ,loved the conversion and the feel it has provided to this image ! that one eyed look and the looks of the leopard are just appealing to me !! loved it and TFS !

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Loi - Love the low pov here and the interesting story of his survival. He certainly looks like a strong leopard and a fighter. I agree with Morkel about the tonal contrast and rotation. I would also prefer a lighter added toning or a lower percentage of the one you used.

TFS,
Rachel

[Marc Mol]

I like the low head on POV here Loi, just not sure on this mono conv.



I like the toning but would have worked harder to achieve more tonal contrast between the BG and the subject.

Morkel has beaten me to it on this, and my feelings also, perhaps a little less sepia/coffee tint as well.

TFS

[Andre Pretorius]

Hi Loi

Love the Brute and your angle of capture.
Disagree on rotation, his shoulders look straight to me, maybe the road was uneven/sloped.
The bad eye just adds to his attitude...
Agree about the toning..
With shooting at -2EV, you have lost all detail in darks, flash can not help.
Very brave to shoot at 1/160- what support did you use?

[Giovanni Frescura]

Hello Hi like the position , the color and background.
I think a bit less blur on the down could better
Nice shoot!!

[Gabriela Plesea]

Dear Loi,

This is how I see your lovely leopard here in terms of colour, hope you do not mind I took the liberty to do an RP - WDYT? Is mine too light for your taste? Were you perhaps trying to match the colour/tonality with the mood of the image?

Well framed, I like the way you composed and I really love the low POV and this menacing look from the subject, what a wonderful capture and one of your most interesting leopard shots - I would love to have this in my folders:)

Kind regards,

[Loi Nguyen]

Thank you Gabriela, on a lap top right now at the airport, but can see a big difference in your version. The leopard stands out when there is more tonal contrast with the BG. You also brought more life to the image. In real life, may be the image should be a little darker as it was near sunset and cloudy.

Andre, I was lying flat out on the seat of the safari vehicle trying to get a low POV as possible. The 100-400 was not that heavy and can be handheld at this speed. Thank you all. Loi

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Loi a great shot with a even greater view to the subject , the conversion is just not grabbing me because of tonal flatness and the color toning .

TFS Andreas

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

I love the POV for sure and the subject is a killer one for me.
I am not a big B&W person to begin with, but while I love what Gabriela has done to the image, based on your comments of the time it was taken it would be too much of an artistic improvement for me.
That's not a criticism of Gabriela of course, it's my view on things. Her version actually does look better, but for me it's not a realistic representation, again, referring to your own comments Loi.
Well done mate. Good work.