Edit this pouncing cheetah please.

[Ian McHenry]

This is one of my pictures taken @ 300mm plus tele-converter on manual pre-focus.
The young cheetah got a bit tangled in the prey's packaging !!!
I can live with image as is, but would like to see what a skilled editor can do to clean up the image.
With Thanks
Ian McHenry
http://www.pbase.com/ianmc/photoaday

[Van Hilliard]

A good story-telling image as it is. I'll be eager to see what some of our Photoshop gurus can do with it. Careful cloning could do quite a bit.

[Steve Canuel]

Hey Ian,
Thanks for the opportunity to play with one of your images. Your request for a "skilled editor " should've left me out but I couldn't resist. My "vision" for your image (if it were mine) was to give the impression of a happily bounding cheetah through the lush summer grasses.
Steve

[Robert Amoruso]

My interpretation.

[Ian McHenry]

Thanks Steve & Robert for using your time on this image.
Much appreciated.
Steve; Nice job of cleaing up the clutter.
Good new emphasis on the animal.
Robert:Really like the sharpened head, improved colour, and general clean up.
Cheers: Ian Mc

[Robert Smith]

Neat shot made even better by two talented "optimizers"! Well done, y'all.

[Van Hilliard]

I think both Robert and Steve did good work on the image. Robert's is probably more accurate but Steve's shows the impact to be gained by a boost in saturation. Perhaps a very slight boost in color but otherwise going with Robert's version? I think that would be most satisfactory to me.

[Ian McHenry]

Robert Smith & Van: Appreciate your interest and comments.
Cheers: Ian Mc