I often extol the virtues of being able to photograph wildlife subjects at eye level.
There are a couple of ways to achieve this, and the most obvious question that comes up is what to do about cases where you are in reserves or national parks that restrict you to being in a vehicle at all times...
Through careful vehicle positioning, reading the lay of the land and predicting the positioning of the animal relative to that can go a long way to achieving that high-impact eye-level image. Good use of telephoto lenses and their compression factor can also aid you here (parking a bit further so the relative perspective to your subject appears lower).
The use of special underground bunkers are also a recent development that have ensured that photographers are able to get close to their subjects and shoot from a ground-level perspective.
The most special and electrifying way to do this, though, in my humble opinion, is to be on foot with the animals. There are a couple of places that allow you to be out and about, and with the right guide present you can have a magnificent wildlife experience (regardless of the photos you bring home). You've seen me post photos from Mana Pools in Zimbabwe, where walking safaris is a big drawing card...but there's a reserve that recently opened up in South Africa that boasts painted dogs and cheetahs that are quite habituated to humans on foot, and they are still fully wild and hunt for themselves. This place is called Zimanga Private Game Reserve, and the owner, Charl Senekal, has gone to great lengths over a long period of time to habituate his wild born free ranging predators to human movement and presence.
I captured this photo of one of the male cheetahs of Zimanga late one afternoon earlier this year. I was lying flat on my belly in the bush, a mere 15 meters from him. He was totally relaxed - until an elephant bull stumbled upon us, smelled him, and chased him up (as Charl and I made a careful retreat back to the vehicle, haha). These experiences always mean so much more to me than the actual photos.
Wow. very nice image Morkel, great low POV, the straight down-the-barrel stare & super details & colours make this image. Zimanga/Mana Pools will be on the bucket list for sure sometime in the future!
TFS.
You're so right about POV Morkel. I just came back from a 4 day Kruger Park visit and was disappointed with some shots taken of an ele at a dam, from a point higher than the ele itself. Other than cropping close-ups from them they are useless - they just look unreal. I also got out of the car at some stage to get closer to fish eagles circling a dam but other than you I did not have an extra set of eyes accompanying me and I must admit it felt really kreepy!
Nice stare from the cheetah - as if it was not sure whether it should investigate, relax or just get away from these crazy homo sapiens!
Hi Morkel - the pov certainly makes the image and I too like the way the oof foliage frames the cheetah. Nice to see a shot from Zimanga outside of the blinds and at a relatively low ISO. My first impression was that the mouth and whiskers looked a little crunchy, might back off the sharpening just slightly there.
Thanks folks. Good spot, Rachel - "Eagle Eyes Rachel" strikes again
Originally Posted by Tobie Schalkwyk
I also got out of the car at some stage to get closer to fish eagles circling a dam but other than you I did not have an extra set of eyes accompanying me and I must admit it felt really kreepy!
Ooh - naughty!
FWIW: I wasn't advocating disregarding the rules of the park or reserve you are visiting
Nice angle - and makes the image from one of a cheetah lying down, to something much more special. I hadn't spotted the crunchy whiskers etc but Rachel is right I think.
I enjoy being able to get out and walk unaccompanied in Luangwa. A benefit of being a guide here but not one that many take up. It's essential for a walking guide to spend a lot of time on foot without clients - you can't hope to have enough encounters just when with clients to gain the necessary experience.
Morkel, you are absolutely right about being on foot and eye to eye with the animals even though the photos that one takes home are not up to standard because of the poor light or whatsoever. Love the eye contact here and the OOaf BG. Watch out for the OOF FG though as they can be distracting. Have to make time for Mana Pools sometime. Loi
Been looking through my Zimanga folders to see if I have already met this cheetah, but mine has a collar - did you take his collar off, mate?
I agree with you, there are some experiences one never forgets, and surely your Zimanga visit was one of them, do let us know when you return so we can meet, either at Zimanga or some new place you haven't seen yet:)
The POV is superb here and I like the way the cheetah is looking straight at you; the blur effect softens the vegetation and makes the subject stand out. I do like the crop very much, I just wonder whether taking a bit off the LHS makes sense to you, I find the amount of blur/vignette a bit overpowering and the dark spot in the left corner a wee bit distracting - WDYT?
Have you seen any leopards at Zimanga? We found spoor by the hide when we arrived - it was so fresh, we just just minutes late to see him drink:) Zimanga is a great place, will go back in the New Year:)
Hope you are packing for the Kalahari, I want a full report of sightings when you get back, please
Been looking through my Zimanga folders to see if I have already met this cheetah, but mine has a collar - did you take his collar off, mate?
I agree with you, there are some experiences one never forgets, and surely your Zimanga visit was one of them, do let us know when you return so we can meet, either at Zimanga or some new place you haven't seen yet:)
The POV is superb here and I like the way the cheetah is looking straight at you; the blur effect softens the vegetation and makes the subject stand out. I do like the crop very much, I just wonder whether taking a bit off the LHS makes sense to you, I find the amount of blur/vignette a bit overpowering and the dark spot in the left corner a wee bit distracting - WDYT?
Have you seen any leopards at Zimanga? We found spoor by the hide when we arrived - it was so fresh, we just just minutes late to see him drink:) Zimanga is a great place, will go back in the New Year:)
Hope you are packing for the Kalahari, I want a full report of sightings when you get back, please
Warmest regards,
Well, his collar was replaced with a microchip by the time I got there...
And there are now two fresh leopard cubs at Zimanga, seeing some great images coming from their FB page...
And yes, packing and preparing!