Eye-Level Leopard

[Grant Atkinson]

Canon 1Dmk3, Canon 300mmf2.8is, handheld from a vehicle. S/Speed 1/320s at f5.6. +.33 EV Comp. Iso 500. Eval meter. Ai Servo. Location Chitabe, Okavango Delta, Botswana, 6 Aug 2010, 17h42. Colour in ACR, USM in CS5. cropped from 10mp to 9.7.
This young male leopard jumped up onto a branch just after sunset. This brought him almost to a perfect eye level with our vehicle. I only managed to take a few frames before he changed position. There was almost no colour in the sky behind him but I warmed it slightly. I am aware of and able to remove the two very thin OOF branches in the top rhs of frame, but just kept it original for this post. All C and C welcome.
cheers
Grant

www.grantatkinson.com

[Loong-Tat Wong]

Wow! Love the eye level gaze!

[Andrew Merwin]

I really like the eye contact here. While I like that the OOF branch leads my eye to the leopard, the broken branch in front of the leopard's right pay is a distraction for me. Also, I see a black spot above the leopard's left shoulder that you may want to remove. I think this is a very good capture & I admire your alertness that allowed you to make the image.

[Grant Atkinson]

Hi Andrew, thanks for the comments. The black spot is a fly, and you are right, I can remove it. The broken branch in front of the leopard bothers me as well. I was not able to reposition in time for a different angle. I had three photographers to my right shoulder in the vehicle, so to speak, I think they may have gotten a clear line of the cat minus the broken branch...
cheers
Grant

[peter delaney]

Hi Grant,lovely leopard portrait... i am in two minds about warming of BKG...as it seems to have created a halo around the leopard... I would be for the removal of OOF branches and black spot as I find they detract...

great eye level image... well done

[Ken Watkins]

I have to agree with Peter here there is definitely a halo around the leopard. If you selected the BG with Magic Wand then you should try to use the refine edge function to eliminate the halo.

Personally I would have preferred the warming to have been applied to the Leopard, and perhaps a tad more sharpening.

[Andrew Merwin]

Hi Andrew, thanks for the comments. The black spot is a fly, and you are right, I can remove it. The broken branch in front of the leopard bothers me as well. I was not able to reposition in time for a different angle. I had three photographers to my right shoulder in the vehicle, so to speak, I think they may have gotten a clear line of the cat minus the broken branch...
cheers
Grant

Well, if the black is a fly, I would probably leave it in as it is part of the environment. :) Based on your comments about the suddenness of the leopard's appearance, it seems unlikely to me that you would have had time to reposition. It is an excellent photo.

[Grant Atkinson]

Thanks for all the comments and feedback. I have removed the BG warming, sharpened a little more, and got rid of the branches and the fly.
cheers
Grant

[Rachel Hollander]

Grant - Like the repost very much, though IMO he looks a little uncomfortable, almost floating on the rhs where no tree trunk :). I think the removal of the oof branches and the fly enhanced the image.

TFS,
Rachel

[Andrew Merwin]

I really like the repost Grant. Nicely done.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Grant, well the jury is out on this one for me.

Primarily because of the POV, it's so unusual and with an almost minimal BG it almost feels like a cutout if you know what I mean., as if it had been shot in a studio, LOL. I also find the rhs a little awkward too, however it's real.

The repost is better and the removal/gardening isn't an issue. Well seen & caught, told you the 300 is the best lens Canon do, IMHO.

TFS
Steve

[Morkel Erasmus]

super sharp in great light, love the POV here Grant. the fly didn't bother me and neither did the twigs :)

[Lorant Voros]

Love it. Whan an angle and eye contact. Nice and interesting lighting. Nothing " bothers me" about this one, simply love it.

[Michael Stern]

GRANT,
AMAZING IMAGE!! I can only hope to get one as nice!!
Regards,
Michael

[Ken Watkins]

Grant,

The real problem here is the position of the Leopard and the log, it is almost standard practice with Leopards to get interfering wood or leaves. I have just reviewed around 100 Leopard images taken in Ruha and have rejected nearly all of them as a result of this type of "interference".

I am sure you will have many better opportunities:)

[Grant Atkinson]

Hi All, thanks for taking the time to look and leave your comments. Seems this shot drew a mixed bunch of responses,but thanks for the advice re removing the colour halo especially.
Cheers
Grant

[Andrew Aveley]

i am one who likes the subject fullstop :p As for image with twigs removed, this works fine and definitely original colours here are better>

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Removing the warming effect in post processing has made this better. I like the eye contact. Nice image. Am not sure you would have got the time to position your vehicle at a better place. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Grant Atkinson]

Hi Andrew and Sabyasachi, thanks for taking the time and commenting. I always get excited when photographing leopards, and when this guy moved onto this branch I can still remember how anxious I was to position before he moved off. There was a big dry branch on the ground that made a cracking noise when I drove over it, and that is what made him look directly at us...But the same branch blocked me from making any further attempts at repositioning..
cheers for now
Grant