The cute and innocent looking Blackbacked Jackal is...well...not that innocent. It is in fact a clever and cunning animal and a predator second to none. Feeds on just about anything, from insects, lizards, rodents, scrub hares or spring hares to adult impalas or wildebeest calves. When in a group, jackals take turns to harass their victims until they subside due to exhaustion. They also scavenge on carcasses. This particular individual was rather young and in very good condition, and if I am not mistaken it was a female. She was probably returning from the nearby waterhole (note the algae on her muzzle), unconcerned, relaxed, walking straight towards our vehicle and thus allowing us to capture a number of images. I particularly liked this frame because the subject's eyes and intense look communicate something. I still cannot help but wonder where she was going and what she was about to do...
Nikon D5
Nikon 500 F4
ISO 3200
F6.3
1/2500s
+1/3 EV
Hope you all have a wonderful week-end! Many thanks for viewing, and of course for all comments and critique on my previous images
I'm very much enjoying seeing your work again, Gabriela and glad you have been able to get back out and capture some shots to share. The expression on the jackal's face adds a nice touch to this. I like the relatively small-in-the-frame approach and simple surrounds as well as pose/walking action. You have great detail where it matters on the head and front paw. I wondered if a touch more DOF might benefit here but not convinced of that at all as it think it works quite well as presented. Colour and tonal range look good to my eye and composition nicely balanced. Nothing I'd change here.
I completely agree, a bit more DoF would have been good but I must have forgotten to change settings while watching this little one through the viewfinder. She was so cute:)
Indeed we had a few opportunities during this trip but not as many as usual. I must admit the first week was a bit frustrating. It had rained so nicely there just before our arrival but vegetation was still scarce, most of the animals went over the dunes. Our luck changed as soon as we moved to the Botswana side of the park so I am very grateful to have something to share:)
Hope you have a lovely week-end, many thanks again for viewing and kind comments
Hi Gabriela, just a fraction lower to have those eye just in line with the viewer. F/7.1- 8 I think, nothing more, I don't have a problem with one ear being OOF, it's the nature I feel of the subject being alert to the surroundings. More FG less above for the Jackal to walk into. I feel it is loosing some 'form/structure' in the face and I'm not 100% that it's sharp, is this FF or a crop and if so by how much would you say? SS looks fine to account for the walking towards you.
Hi Gabriela - Nice to see another jackal. Steve has beat me to it. I thought something looked off in the pp in that the face doesn't have the structure or fine detail I usually expect from your posts. Have you experimented with something different in pp?
I lke the shallow depth of field, I think it makes me concentrate on the facial expression. Th leading leg is fairly sharp and I think this also complements the presentation.
Many thanks for your observations and suggestions! I had a look at my workflow and realised I have forgotten to sharpen Miss Jackal in LR Here it is, hope it is better and that I did not go overboard with the sharpening. The OP was FF Steve, I cropped it now to see what it looks like, unfortunately cannot do much about the FG...