"Joy" @ sunset.
The local guides had named this beautiful 3 yr old female leopardess "Joy", and she was pure joy to photograph, posing here against a lovely setting sky.
Not having a spot light to light the subject, I had to revert to my flash, which I don't like using at night, It took a few attempts with my SB900 flash exp comp to achieve the lighting I was after.
Ruaha NP- Tanzania Oct 2013
D700 80-400 AF-S f/5.6 1/60 -1.3 EV (SB900) ISO200 @ 130mm FF.
C & C most welcome
Cheers
Marc
Very eye catching shot Marc.
The colour of the evening sky is super.
Composition wise I would be tempted to lose some of the black from the bottom RH corner by bringing the branch and leopard a bit lower in the frame.
Just out of interest, where did you stay in Ruaha?
Thanks Martin.
Spent 10 nights @ Kwihala camp.Originally Posted by Martin Dunn
Kwihala is a top spot Marc. No wonder your game viewing was so fruitful.
This is an amazing image, great use of flash and the evening sky is cool. I only wish for a slight head turn towards us but that is nit-picking. Well done Marc.
Excellent shot! Quite the scenery here, love the smooth blue sky too. Don't know if you got lucky with having her head a little more towards the camera!?
My only suggestion is to burn the midtones with opacity around 55% on the front paw and that one little spot under the belly. The flash seems a little unkind to those places, IMO. Nevertheless, any shot of a Leopard is a great shot for me
TFS
Hi Marc, lovely setting, and I like the effect from the flash. Typical lazy pose of a leopard in a tree. Comp wise, as Martin suggested, maybe a little off the bottom, but I would also take some off the RHS too.
Lovely mood and setting, Marc. Love that sky...
Only thing that bugs me is that the cat and tree still look a bit "flashed"...it's not garish, but it's noticeable to me. I don't have a solution, perhaps toning down the branch through a lumo mask will sort it out? Not a deal-breaker by any means, just something my eyes picked up (even when I saw it on 500px).
She looks very relaxed & content perched on the limb. I like that the tail is visible over the limb. I also suggest removing some to the black in the LRC—maybe try a 16:9 crop.
Andrew
It's fine balance to get right, hence having to play around with the flash, would have preferred to have had a spot light handy, but I think the BG sky makes up for the shortcomings of having to use a flash.Lovely mood and setting, Marc. Love that sky...
Only thing that bugs me is that the cat and tree still look a bit "flashed"...it's not garish, but it's noticeable to me. I don't have a solution, perhaps toning down the branch through a lumo mask will sort it out? Not a deal-breaker by any means, just something my eyes picked up (even when I saw it on 500px).
Indeed, hence the reason I said it's not a deal-breaker for me
Hi Marc - Great sky and habitat shot. You can just feel her getting ready for the nighttime. I really like the tail draped as well. I agree with the suggestion to take some off the bottom and perhaps try a 16x9 crop. I also agree with Morkel about the flash but it's a trade off because you couldn't get this shot without it or a spot. Looks like it was a good trip. Keep them coming.
TFS,
Rachel
Hi Marc, love the sky and the leopard looks great. I don't know anything about flash, so can't comment, but I would second (or third) Martin regarding losing some of the black at the bottom. You may try a pano crop. Loi
Hi Marc, certainly a different take on what we normally see, however I'm with you about using a flash, even a spotlight.
Comp wise I think it looks ok, just not a lover of the jagged edge the tree has created as it butts up to the sky, perhaps it's down to masking/sharpening/NR????? Also the flash to me has created this form, where it almost looks like the Leopard is 'part' of the tree, as there are no shadows, darks or form, the flash has flattened things, if you get my drift. Likewise the colouring on the front leg/shoulder looks like an opacity colour? Hard to explain here Marc. Even with the flash, could you not have gone to ISO400 for more SS?
However, saying all that, I'm with you, I love that blue sky.
TFS
Steve
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Lovely image Marc, you handled the situation very well, using flash at a time when the image would otherwise have been impossible other than shooting a silhouette. You handled the flash very well too, you didn't blow the leopard out the tree with the flash and you didn't underexpose it either, any less flash and there would not have been enough light, so for me you got that bang on, yes processing wise you are not far off either, may be just a little more contrast in the branch and some more whites on the leopard and you are there. so once again well done on making the best of a difficult situation and coming out with a great image.
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