Luangwa leopard.

[Marc Mol]

5.51pm.
At the end of a long hot dry season, this large male leopard was attempting to cool off above the last of a drying up water source.
Light was fading fast, hence the need for 12800.:w3

D3s 500VR 1/160s f/4 ISO12800 Slight crop. Sth Luangwa NP- Zambia

C & C most welcome

Cheers
Marc

[Ken Watkins]

Marc,

Remarkable detail under the circumstances, you must go out in daylight sometime:w3

Pity about the rather cluttered BG, but it is its habitat.

[Mark Wiseman]

Hi Marc,
A beautiful image and it just shows what the D3s can do in bad light, amazing.
Thanks for sharing and best wishes,
Mark.

[Dumay de Boulle]

Man you do seem to shoot in some tough conditions. IQ looks excellent for that ISO. I quite like the pose and the surrounding vegetation is distracting but still has a pleasing quality.

[Rachel Hollander]

Mark - great eye contact and interesting to see the leopard in the tangle of branches. Can't really be comfortable. Amazing for such a high ISO. I'm starting to wonder if you ever shoot in good conditions?

TFS,
Rachel

[Steve Kaluski]

I think this is one of your best based on the high ISO here Marc, would think about loosing some off the top, say just below the larger branch heading off to the left.

TFS
Steve

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Marc, good detail for such a high ISO, and the leopard pops nicely from the busy BG. Love the lazy pose.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Cracking IQ at the high ISO, Marc! Nice view of the face in a busy environment.
I agree with Steve's crop suggestion.