Female Leopard (Scotia)

I had a fantastic sighting of our 'Leopard Queen' Scotia a few days ago. She regularly walks through thick bush making photos difficult but she posed beautifully for us in a dry river bed that was running until a few days ago so the sand was smooth, no other animal tracks. Her cubs are both doing great and you won't believe how big they have gotten. I still am yet to have a sighting of them where the camera was worth lifting or my view wasn't obscured while my guests got a great view. But I'm sure I will get plenty more opportunities.

Canon 5D MKIII
Sigma 120-300 f2.8 OS + Canon 1.4 ExtII
AV f4
TV 1/640
Exp +0.33
ISO 640

Thanks for looking:S3:

Hi Dumay, she certainly is one 'special' lady and I'm envious of you to get her with cubs later, been tracking JP so I know when you get behind the camera those images will be stunning.

Yet again, the IQ and PP is bang on, the DoF is perfect, face sharp with that nice/lovely tail off as you come forward. The sand is incredible, no branches, leaves, debris, it's as if it had been groomed for her, nice alert pose.

My only wish, if any, would be if the head wasn't quite intersecting the BKG, extremely difficult I know, but certainly no deal breaker! Was this close to camp near the river, as we saw her there patroling?

TFS
Steve :cheers:

Dumay, this is beautiful. Agree with Steve fully, this is a solid image in everyway. Nice comp, colurs are spot on, great pose. Like it a lot.

Hi Dumay - It doesn't get much more perfect than this for a leopard portrait. The look to camera, dof and clean sand all combine for a great image. Colors look perfect too. Congrats!

Looking forward to you getting some images of the cubs. I hope the rains/floods aren't bad this year.

TFS,
Rachel

Hello Dumay,

What a beauty! Fully agree with comments above, little left for me to add, just wanted to say this is superb, love the eye contact, great IQ - I think it'll make a wonderful poster on your wall, hope you print it big:)

Congratulations!

Thanks all for the comments its much appreciated... I really liked this one.

Steve I did notice the riverbank vegetation bisecting the head, I turned the vehicle the right and pushed it up against the river bank with the nose but just couldn't go any further forward to have clean sand behind her.
Considering I am out here almost everyday it's amazing how few perfect photographic situations I find my self in.

Quote:

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Considering I am out here almost everyday it's amazing how few perfect photographic situations I find my self in.

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That's Wildlife, but just think about all those opportunities we would easily trade for. :cheers:

Hi Dumay,

she is as pretty as me and tac sharp as me and looks gorgeous as me. I just cannot help out with cubs, mine are grown by now. Son overtook me 2 heads!
beautiful done :t3

Nothing else to add, unless first I thought she is on a terrace or so :c3:

Cheers me as pretty I am

Hi Dumay not much to add what is not already said by others. So i keep it simple ....... nicely done in the field and in PP :5.
I have just one little thing to say , but i know you see it differently and that is ok , i tend not to use NR to my images under ISO 3200 unless it is somehow very visible . I just feel the BG in some cases to smooth and lifeless, i personally like to see some grain . But this is just my preference :bg3:.Like in Sanjeev´s tiger shot where you stated you do find the BKG just right .

Oh Dumay i would like to change job for a while with you , maybe than i would also complain about "few" perfect situations :w3.

TFS Andreas

Dear Dumay, were you in an open vehicle? With guests? Difficult one if so, since you probably had to consider the others. Standing up would have compromised your POV but probably given you a clean BG - on the other hand, the risk of Scotia walking away from the scene was probably too high to make such a move. You did so well under the circumstances, I am sure you'll have more opportunities soon, looking forward to more from you!

Warmest regards,

Great setting and pose indeed Dumay! Good on you for letting your guests get the best view/angle. That's the way it should be in the industry.
I do feel the cat has a slight green tinge to her, easy fix if you are so inclined...

Thanks all for the comments:S3:

Steve I forgot to answer your original question. She was in the M'suthu river-bed just north of the KNP Boundary, the same river that runs through us and onto Kirkmans'.

Gabriella, as shooting angles go, I probably had the best of all my guests as they were behind me to the left of the facing cat. I had the nose of the vehicle and tracker pushed up against the river bank that you see disecting her head... I could not get any more forward. I wish I could but there was no opportunity. Also one of our number one rules of Guided open vehicle Safaris' is 'No Standing' I also feel if I did stand she probably would have moved away...as you said she might have:5. I also think the shooting angle may not have been as appealing. I am sure I will get more opportunities but very few as good as this one. As I said considering how much time I spend out here how few perfect opportunities I get. But of course I realise how lucky I am to be out here everyday:cheers:, but most sightings I don't even lift my camera. I just want to take it in with my mind.

Andreas, as NR goes I prefer smooth clean BG's...I think it comes from my Bird photography days. As you say its personal taste and mine is the one that counts:t3:bg3: BTW I am not complaining about the few perfect situations, I was just stating a fact about being out here day after day and how few perfect situations I get. It always amazes me the shots people get on their short week or two vacation and the opportunities they get. Its almost like the Universe understands they don't get many opportunities so they squeeze them into a short time frame. Also anyone can come out here and do what I do...It just takes the decision to do it...I did it at the age of 32 and have seen guys do it in their 40's and 50's...So don't think for a moment that the chance is for a select few....You won't be able to afford the 1DX 2 and the MKIII L series lenses if & when they come out but its a small sacrifice:bg3:

Morkel I have looked and I don't see the green. I am not sure why no one else mentioned it. I know I have been struggling to get my colours right and I really feel I cracked this one. I will wait to see those opinions of others when they revisit to see their second time round thoughts...I just hope you haven't planted a seed and they start seeing g things that aren't there.:Whoa!::wave:

Hi Dumay you are right it is your style and totally ok for me :5.Sorry i got you wrong , and you are right about the fact that one can come and try to live the way you live . There is always a price to pay for the way one lives :bg3:, sometimes higher other times lower . My comment regarding swopping jobs was not meant that seriously :w3.

Regarding Morkel and his greenery ....... well if nitpicking he is well right , just checked the colors with eyedropper and you have a slight greenish tint in the lights and the lighter mid tones of the subject . I test color issues within LAB color space (no need to convert ) just set the eyedropper to LAB color reading and you are good to go . IN the lights you have - 3 (A channel) and -1 (B channel) that means you have the lights slightly on the cool side with a tendency to green !! If neutral you should 0 and 0 in both channels .

Cheers Andreas

Sorry wrong one , i just did a clean install to Yosemite and still busy setting up the system .
So i hope this will look more realistic , cheers Andreas

Yep :cheers:, i did a great job :bg3:

Hi Andreas...I can see the difference, although a minor one. Looks like according to your LAB colour (Don't even know what that is:tinysmile_shy_t:) it was out by a small amount it would seem, maybe thats why I didn't notice it. I notice it upon revisiting the image more on the bridge of the nose in my OP. I continue to be frustrated by colour but I am sure I will figure it out.

BTW Morkel...Well caught.:5

Hi Dumay, just back so can 'properly' well to me, view images gain, :bg3: Andreas would you like me to delete your RP (wrong version in pane 14)?
Thanks Dumay for the info, I note JP is leaving tomorrow, a sad loss and will drop him a line of thanks, but most of all it gave Rachel & I the opportunity to meet up with you, one of the highlights for us, if I may speak on Rachels behalf too :cheers:.

BTW don't get hooked up about colour I think all is good, but if you have time (LOL) you could experiment with things as discussed, all the best.

Dear Dumay

What an exquisite shot, simply beautiful animal. I have read all the other comments, and don't have anything to add to that - thanks for sharing!

Kind regards, Charleen