Playful leopard cubs

[Stu Bowie]

I managed a quick weekend trip up to the Mashatu reserve in Botswana last weekend. On our saturday morning drive we came across these two seven month old leopard cubs playing in a large tree. I was amazed at their agility and how silent they were when they leapt around this large tree. Of course I was aware of their ability, but to witness it up close, was great. Ive always wanted to capture a leopard 'leaping' so I will take this until I get a better one. Captured vertically in camera.

Canon 1D Mark IV
100-400 @ 110mm
1/125
F/5.6
ISO 640

Manual exposure
Ext flash

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Stu - Looks like you had a really fun sighting. I'm surprised you didn't crank up the ISO a bit to get more ss but have a feeling you weren't actually set up for the leap at the time. I might crop a bit from the top to get rid of the bright sky peeking through. If you want to keep the same proportion then you can also come in on the rhs. Great timing with the leap and it doesn't look flashed. I like that the other cub is engaged with the leaping one as shown by its cocked head. Congrats on getting one on your wish list.

TFS,
Rachel

[Anette Mossbacher]

Hi Stuart, nice sighting you got in Mashatu. Rachel mentioned already the most above.
I know that place very well. Great for Leopards & elles. Did you have any chance to visit the underground "bunker" hide?

Have a great day

Ciao
Anette

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Awesome leaping pose Stu. Though the SS was low you still managed to get nice sharpness!

[edwardselfe]

You captured the essence of their agility here as you were talking about. I wonder if you could do something about the shadow on the lower cub's tail. That's the only place where the use of flash is apparent. a great image.
Ed

[Stu Bowie]

Did you have any chance to visit the underground "bunker" hide?

Thanks Anette. Unfortunately, I didnt get to the hide. I have heard all about it, and the awesome low angle captures. We were staying at a private lodge away from the main Mashatu lodge.

Thanks a stack everyone else for your feedback.

[Markus Jais]

Wonderful shot. I like the movement in the leopard above and that the lower one seems to watching the other.

Markus

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Stu,
lovely shot of the too cats nicely framed , maybe a bit tight all around, just personal view.
Great timing to capture this.
One major issue for me is the use of flash , too obvious for me . The flash destroyed any kind of 3D in the image ,looks really flat to me, sadly.So i am not with Rachel, about this.

But you must have had fun watching the two.

BTW i never have seen leopards that close, so easy for me to critique the image, i would love to have this kind shot, Stu.

TFS Andreas

[Loi Nguyen]

Stu, great sighting. The eye contact on the leaping leopard is great. I didn't read about the flash until later and I have to agree with Andreas that the image is a little flat. Nevertheless, it was a good capture. Loi

[Morkel Erasmus]

Nice framing "within" the tree here Stu, and certainly an exciting sighting.
I actually agree with Andreas, it looks a bit "flashed" (thought so before even reading your EXIF)......so it's lacking a bit in depth for me.
Still, would like this in my files! Rachel made a good crop suggestion.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Stu, revisited this image and took into PS
still like it.
Here is an RP , by knowing i have gone too far , just show you a direction, or option .

I almost left the leopards alone worked only on the surrounding.

WDYT ?

Andreas

[Stu Bowie]

Thanks a stack for all your feedback everyone.

Andreas, thanks a stack for your repost. I can now see how my image looks a bit flat as stated by both yourself and Mork. By darkening the main tree trunk, it does give the image more of a 3D effect, which we are after. However, I feel you should have maybe left the leopards as they were, their repost colour seems a bit off on my screen.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Stu,
as i said very quickly done ,had not the target to do it perfect , just show a direction.

BTW i did not touch the leopards .

Regards Andreas

[Stu Bowie]

BTW i did not touch the leopards .

It was a long day.

[Steve Canuel]

Hi Stuart,
Bet it was fun to watch, always interesting to catch animals doing something active. I'm amazed at the size of that tree!