Caracal

[Ken Watkins]

I can only find one other posting on here so I presume they are quite rare sighting.They are for me!
This is from my one and only daylight sighting in the Mara with Andy Rouse, they were a long way away hence the picture quality.
Taken in Masai Mara 17th September 2007.

EOS 1D MkIIn

500mm F4 IS Beanbag from pop up roof

F7.1, 1/1250, ISO 400

[Harshad Barve]

I am just loving this as posted. Can not criticise Caracal image :D:D:D , Ken I dont know about Africa but you have to be pure & lucky soul to see their Indian cousines

Cheers for this image , Made my day
TFS

[Sabyasachi Patra]

It is not easy to see caracals in India. I had seen one caracal in 2002. ;) That is how frequently we see. :D I like the pose and eye contact. Wish to see them one of these soon.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Steve Kaluski]

Nice looking Cat, Ken.

Never seen one so thanks.;) Might take a tad off the top? :)

Steve

[peter delaney]

my favorite feline.. has eluded me so far, we have them on our property,but due to farming practices in the area of shooting animals on sight .They keep away from humans...
the caracal and seval are two cats i would love to spend time with in the wild photographing...

thanks for sharing...

[Hilary Hann]

Ken, this is a very nice portrait of one cat I would love to see. I have one problem which may be my end, but nearly all your images are coming up flat on my monitor and not wanting to get into the monitor discussion here, I wonder what it could be. I don't feel inclined to critique your images if some of the visuals are in transfer from your monitor to what I see in mine. Anyway, this one is a fantastically clear image.

[Ken Watkins]

Thanks to everybody for their comments. I was happy to be there but wish we had got a few more usable images.

Hilary,

Sorry for the problems, but it seems we all see things differently, (see Bat Eared Fox thread):cool:

[Hilary Hann]

Hey Ken, have read the bat eared fox thread! :o All gets pretty complicated, I guess that's why I try to keep critiquing away from some of the minor things which could be due to differences in monitors. This image if fine with me and any minor lack of contrast I'll put down to the monitors, likewise with future photos. So did you get any other usable images of this caracal and just for interests sake, whereabouts in the Mara did you find it?

[Ken Watkins]

Hilary,

I have to confess to making a complete nonse of my back ups from the Mara, and I have lost all but 4 RAW files from this sighting.
This by far the best image, I had no idea where in the Mara I was at any time other than when we were at the river:confused:. Even worse this sighting was of a pair! Next time?

Cheers

Ken

[Hilary Hann]

Ken, I'm actually really sad about that as I know (like all other photographers in Africa) how rare it is to get a good sighting like this one, let alone a pair. At least you have something, and a very nice 'something' at that.

As you say, next time. :)

[Tom Graham]

Love it.
Not good picture quality for you? Looks mighty fine to me!!! Particularly like how everything in fore front of image (grass) and Caracal is sharp then BG fades away. Makes for intimacy, like I'm very close to it.

Tom

[Morkel Erasmus]

I've never even seen one in all my travels throughout Southern Africa so I will just sit and enjoy this open sighting Ken...:D

[Todd Frost]

Nice view of this beautiful cat. Agree with taking a little off top. Too bad about lost images, but at least you have this one. TFS
Todd

[Stu Bowie]

Great sighting Ken, and surely a rare sighting for most of us. I think they are quite frequent in Addo National Park. Like the eye contact.

[Steve Canuel]

Cool looking cat Ken. I like how the ear tufts are pointing the same way as the taller strands of grass.

[Dumay de Boulle]

Lovely sighting, lovely image...I have still never seen one in the wild!:(