KTP leopard

[Betsie Storm]

Saw this leopard almost within sight of Twee Rivieren camp in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Dec 2008. It was minutes from gate closing time and the light was fading fast, with a traffic jam at the sighting. The leopard was lounging on the sand; got up and walked towards a kill (springbuck) lying nearby. Got a few shots.
No cropping, some levels & light warming filter, sharpened and some NR on the OOF BG. The whole image is fairly noisy- ISO 1600 seems to be at the top end of the 1DMIIN's capability.
EXIF:
Camera Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark II N
Date/Time: 2008:12:31 19:13:11
Shutter speed: 1/500 sec
Aperture: 8
Exposure mode: Av
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Evaluative
Drive mode: Continuous
ISO: 1600
Lens: EF500mm f/4.5L USM +1.4x
Focal length: 700mm
AF mode: AI Servo AF
Support: BLUBB + groundpod on car window

[David Thomasson]

What a beautiful animal. I really don't see much noise in this. I tweaked it a bit to bring out the subject a little more.

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/9521/leopardy.jpg

[Marc Mol]

OK, my turn ;)
Just needed a simple tweaking of highlights & mid tone in Levels. (Somewere between Peter and David's reposts)
Lovely environmental image nonetheless Betsy.

http://africaddict.smugmug.com/Other/NatureScapes/IMG0528leopardBPN/715450834_weu7L-XL.jpg

[Harshad Barve]

Lovely image and VWD at ISO 1600, As I love cats , I liked all reposts;)
TFS

[Hendri Venter]

What a nice sighting and you captured it very well too. Looking at the spots on its face its the same Leopard we got last month and posted last week.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Betsie, firstly, I dont see much noise whatsoever. Interesting versions posted above, but I really feel just a touch of contrast on your OP, as you have the colours right for the light and time of day. Great open sighting, and love the low vegatation surrounding the leopard. Well captured.

[Betsie Storm]

Thanks very much everyone for your comments, reposts and tweaks, I really appreciate you taking the time. I think Peter's is probably closest to what it looked like. There is quite a bit of noise all over the raw image when viewed at actual pixels compared to other images at lower ISO, but I have not seen what a similar capture looks like from the other camera bodies. In my mind I'm still comparing to Provia 100 or Velvia 50, which is a useless thing to do.

[David Fletcher]

Lovely sighting Betsie. Hardly any noise showing at all. (They were the days Betsie.... Prov/Vel)..... Thanks for sharing.

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Lovely image Betsie and beautifully captured. It is those last few minutes that sometimes are the best. Well composed and excellent action and detail. Congratulations on a fine image. Good reposts too.

[Morkel Erasmus]

you sure were lucky! we saw nothing of the famed Twee Rivieren leopard on our last trip...lovely exposure and noise looks well managed, although I'm sure at full size it's more noticeable...my 1000D also doesn't really applaud me when I go above ISO 800 :)

[Betsie Storm]

Thanks Dave, Judy, Morkel for your kind words. This leopard showed up on the last day of our stay at KTP; we saw her (?) in the morning in a tree at Samevloeiing where I got a quick few shots (rather less useful than Stu's lazy leopard) and again in the late pm on our way back to camp. Talk about the 11th hour:). I have another image where she is more in the open and facing forward; will use the comments of this post when re-pp-ing that one.