Another leopard

[Steve Kaluski]

Spent just under an hour with this lovely female leopard, taken in Grants old back yard in Botswana. I was planning she was going to do something different, so she caught me a little off guard when she suddenly stopped after hearing a herd of Impala giving the alarm call, hence the look.

I went for a pano crop only because of the body posture and for those of you who have seen it in print, this image has been reprocessed since then. :w3

Steve
Subject: Leopard focusing on Impala alarm call (Panthera pardus)
Location: Botswana
Camera: Canon MKIV
Lens: 500f/4 HH
Exposure: 1/1000s at f/5.6 ISO200 0 stop compensation
Crop: Cropped to pano format (original capture horizontal)

[Rachel Hollander]

Steve - you know I like this one. Colors and detail look good and the angle of the body really lets us see the rosettes.

TFS,
Rachel

[PhilCook]

Love the eyes on this shot, I like the pano crop too...somewhat different than the stray cats we get in our backyard lol

[Tom Graham]

Nice, a different "take" on a leopard pose. Like especially the head sharp and the body not sharp but spots still clear.
And of course as with all yours, the techs perfect.
Tom

[Steve Canuel]

Hi Steve,
A different and interesting comp for this subject. Neat to see the spots lining up on the back end. Gonna sound weird but I'd darken the light fur just behind the bottom right tooth and darken its edge to help define it just a bit more. When I first opened it I thought he had something in his mouth and now I have to keep telling myself he doesn't!

[Vivaldo Damilano]

Steve I really like this, the comp is so different and it work so nicely, love the DOF as well.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi folks, appreciate the comments & feedback.

It's not a wow shot compare to some that have been posted, but the simple change of crop I think helps. :S3:


Gonna sound weird but I'd darken the light fur just behind the bottom right tooth and darken its edge to help define it just a bit more.

Steve it's not weird, that's the whole point of the Forum, to get thoughts and constructive comments/feedback to move the image on, that we may, as 'authors', sometimes miss. It was shot around 11.00am so the light was strong, so some of the highlights could be toned back a fraction more if I'm understanding you correctly. :w3

cheers
Steve

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Steve,
like the image from the technical POV,i expected that (at least by you :w3) as minimum.

But i cannot get a grip on this one ,it is somehow not fitting in my understanding of a nice ?! image for popping it on the wall.May be because of the unusual format ? I cannot really describe it. Just personal.

How does the original look like.?

Cheers Andreas

[Steve Kaluski]

How does the original look like.?

Too much dead space above, plus a governing factor was the placement of the focus point within the range of options. :S3:

[Steve Canuel]

Steve it's not weird, that's the whole point of the Forum, to get thoughts and constructive comments/feedback to move the image on, that we may, as 'authors', sometimes miss. It was shot around 11.00am so the light was strong, so some of the highlights could be toned back a fraction more if I'm understanding you correctly. :w3

cheers
Steve

You are understanding correctly Steve and it's really just that one spot. A really minor note on my part that I wasn't even going to mention and probably nothing anyone else is seeing. One of those things like a piece of parsley in someone's teeth that you just can't not notice once you've seen it (calling a mental health professional as soon as I get off the computer) :bg3:

[Steve Kaluski]

(calling a mental health professional as soon as I get off the computer)
I'll come & visit, promise. Do you like grapes :bg3:

Steve I know exactly what you mean, however if 'WE' do not mention, raise or highlight the point, then surely we are more at fault? Appreciate the comment. :wave:

[Jamie Douglas]

I recognise this.

The colour in this version definitely has more life to it and I do like the comp. But besides the composition and crop, I am always blown away by the detail in your images Steve.

[christopher galeski]

very nice,and the crop works,well done,dont see many of these at (M Cove).:w3

[Steve Kaluski]

Cheers Jamie, I trust Ewan will be up to speed too on ID these animals when we meet him. :bg3:

Cheers Chris, BTW, heading back south Tuesday so will not get a chance to visit, but will head up after the 7th in the week to avoid crowds perhaps, weather permitting!!!

Steve

[Morkel Erasmus]

I like the crop/comp here Steve. Light/exposure/contrast VERY well handled for 11h00 in the morning :Whoa!:
I do wish the eye was more open - was she squinting into the sun?

[Harshad Barve]

compo and F stop selection is not good , with IDMIV you can go to ISO 6400 easily and get back ( of Leo) in focus
Pano also not work for me
TFS

[vikram potdar]

This is perfect and uncommon framing. Loved it. TFS

[Gregor Bergquist]

Very Beautiful. Really love the aggressive look.

TFS