Ndutu cheetah sunset.

[Marc Mol]

The sun had set and still this female cheetah was pursuing Thompsons gazelle, albiet unsuccessfully.
She did provide a lovely backdrop against the evening sky.
Curves, levels in ACR with increased saturation in sky. small amount of CPL filter in Nik.

Ndutu- Tanzania.

D4 500 f/4VR 1/640s f/4 ISO1600

C & C most welcome

Cheers
Marc

[Neil Burton]

Both warm and cold, plenty of space on the left. Love it.

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Marc - really beautiful scene and I love the comp. I just recalibrated my monitor last night and I'm seeing a slight blue cast on the cheetah (confirmed with the eyedropper). Overall, I think one my favorites of your images.

TFS,
Rachel

[Don Railton]

Hi Marc.

I also think this is a wonderful image.. The 'animal in context' images (to me) can often combine landscape and wildlife (= delicious!). I might consider lifting either the brightness or the colour on the cheetah ever so gently, just to make it pop a little more, however I am still a learner so...

DON

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Marc, I like the colour palette on this one very much having seen it a few weeks ago. Position in frame with truck loads of space to look into, just works. Nothing you can do, but the horizon through the neck is never ideal IMHO, but as I said, nothing you could do.

TFS
Steve

[Marc Mol]

Appreciate the comments folks, thanks!

Hi Marc - really beautiful scene and I love the comp. I just recalibrated my monitor last night and I'm seeing a slight blue cast on the cheetah (confirmed with the eyedropper). Overall, I think one my favorites of your images.

TFS,
Rachel

Yes, have found it difficult to completely remove that nagging blue cast on the body, I think it might have been caused when adding a small amount of the CPL Nik filter, in hindsight I should have selectively masked that out. Will process the RAW again and fix.

Hi Marc, I like the colour palette on this one very much having seen it a few weeks ago. Position in frame with truck loads of space to look into, just works. Nothing you can do, but the horizon through the neck is never ideal IMHO, but as I said, nothing you could do.

TFS
Steve

Yes, that was my thought as well Steve, and would prefer not to intersect the body.

[Gabriela Plesea]

One of your best, Marc! Outstanding colours and great processing, a beauty!

Kind regards,

[christopher galeski]

Beautiful image Marc,love the evening light and colors,and a great pose.well done.

[Missy Mandel]

Lovely in every way!

[Steve Canuel]

Nice colors, comp, and mood Marc.

[Nancy Bell]

Agree with all above, this is beautiful and evokes a wonderful African evening mood. I like the sharpness of the flowers in the foreground, along with the cheetah, and then blurred as they fade off into the distance and finally that luscious orange sunset sky. I would consider cropping the dark blue at the top some, so it frames the orange but does not feel like a storm coming in.

[Tobie Schalkwyk]

Beautiful, Marc! This is one of those scenario's which occurs once in a lifetime and you've captured it well. The full body in focus with focus falling quickly thereafter. And the light from the sunset well contained. Well done!

[Morkel Erasmus]

You know I love this, my friend.
I too felt the cheetah was a bit blue/green from the first time I saw it. I sought to correct that in this RP without changing the overall colour balance and mood of the shot, given the time of day and type of light.
I only applied a warming filter to the cheetah alone here, as saturation adjustments and colour balance adjustments didn't give me what I felt it needed.
WDYT?

[Marc Mol]

Looking good Morkel, perhaps just a tad less warm for mine, but appreciate the effort.

[Martin Dunn]

a really nice tranquil image Marc with a real sense of space.
I'd love to see this blown up very large.

[Tim King]

I love looking at this photo. Fine job.

[Anette Mossbacher]

Hi Marc,

great image, love the comp, love the light and all. Fantastic.

have a great eve

Ciao
Anette