Got Plans for Dinner? Photo

Photographer’s Note

In Amboseli (which is no longer a national park, but a reserve owned by the Maasai, for political reasons), we spotted this pair of cheetahs on the prowl and followed them for a while. So did a number of other vehicles, but the cheetahs ignored us all. The zebra, however, could not afford to ignore the cheetahs - but it also knew enough not to run, which would have triggered the cheetahs' chase instinct. So we have everybody watching everybody else.

(Geographic Note: Odd as it may sound, Amboseli actually is in the Rift Valley province, which runs the length of the country from the Sudanese border to the Tanzanian one, where it stretches SE almost to Mombasa.)

Technical: Minor use of levels and curves, and a touch of sharpening.

Newair, claudigan, stego, scobert has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

aral (1195) 2007-12-09 9:50

Hi Daniel,

funny title, nice capture.

Just my opinion, but the portrait frame might work better.

pcp (3346) 2007-12-09 9:59

Hi Daniel,

This capture is content of Happy "N" Sad :)Beautiful composition :) Lovely light.

TFS

Senthil

Roly (1960) 2007-12-09 9:59

Nice shot, even if the light didn't work in your favor and the cheetahs are looking somewhere else. The image is well exposed and very exotic.

smarcell (14327) 2007-12-09 10:00

Nice and funny title, which fits perfectly with the picture. I can feel the zebra is a bit worried.
A very nice composition too, very well balanced, and with a perfect light.

claudigan (2748) 2007-12-09 10:30

Hello,
Nice wild shot with a great depth of field on that short distance created by the grass.
The postions of each of those animals is well seen and make us hope for the future of this zebra as this cheetahs seem to look to another way. Colors are fantastics and you managed well with the sun in front of you.
Well done.
Claude.

xouxou (40) 2007-12-09 11:00 [Comment]

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abahanikrira (9) 2007-12-09 11:08

Funny, I like the picture too..

stego (22360) 2007-12-09 18:28

Hi Daniel,
A shot that many professional pro wild life photographers would be proud of. Not only you caught the animals very well, but you did a very nice compo and managed to join the predators and a potential prey. Good for the zebra that the cheetahs didn't care for her.
Regards, José.

scobert (5333) 2008-04-22 7:17

Hi Dan,
Another very underrated Trek Earth photograph. If I had a dollar for every underrated photo on this forum I could sail around the world in a luxury ocean liner and have champagne and cavier every night for a snack. The zebra positioned where it is not only balances out the cheetahs on the right, but the wary zebra adds even more drama and excitement than than the prowling cheetahs do (who are looking for their next meal). This is a superb African wildlife safari photograph and why you haven't received more comments is one of the great unsolved TE mysteries.
Stan