Ready to attack Photo

Photographer’s Note

We were so lucky during the safari maybe you remember this shot We were very lucky to see a cheetah so close and then with cub.But this time I think we had more luck than with the cheetah^^.
Usually you see leopards very far away(when you see them)this one was so close to us(about 4-6 meters)not at that picture but he walked next to our car without any fear.
Feather also made a safari threw some nationalparks and has also a very nice picture of a leopard
Since tanzania the leopard is my favorite animal because of its beatifull structure the kind of walking very elegant.
Hope you like this picture
Best regards Toba

dareco, tzourob, scobert, JCG, feather, Floydian, Philippe, Dyerco, plimrn, burGu has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

dareco (17104) 2008-04-14 7:44

Really great!! The lighting is excellent. Good detail and color. TFS

tedesse (13280) 2008-04-14 8:33

Hello!
Fantastic picture.
A good point of view that adds dynamism to the composition.
Greetings
Tadeusz

scobert (5333) 2008-04-14 8:46

Hello Tobias,
Fabulous photograph and an excellent job of capturing the fearless attitude of this quintessential hunter on the prowl. You were one lucky person to see this great cat in the daytime, especially moving around. It is interesting that you and Kath Featherstone (Feather) captured the different personalities of this marvelous and beautiful animal. The great cat is poised and alert and on the hunt here but calm and relaxed in Kath's photo. The common personality trait that the leopard displays in both renditions is it's supreme self-confidence. An outstanding image and excellent notes!
Stan

Paolo (40763) 2008-04-14 9:24

Hi Tobias, beautiful portrait of this fantastic predator.
excellent quality, beautiful colours and good timing.
thanks, ciao

Waylim (11339) 2008-04-14 9:53

Toba,
Wow You're very lucky to have seen a leopard so close up my friend. Great image with good clarity and sharpness. His look is so intense. Thanks
Way

JCG (25875) 2008-04-14 12:04

Hi Tobias,

I do not know if this leopard is ready for the attack but I have the impression that it is marking its territory on this tree !!! I like much the quality of the image, in particular clearness and the light. Very beautiful photograph, Tobias cheer.

With all my friendships and a very good evening,

Jean-Charles

Floydian (30970) 2008-04-14 16:52

Hallo Tobias,
We miss his tail, but that's the only minor point in this image. Man you were very lucky to catch that beautiful animal like this. His pose, waiting for attack. Great colour and detail, very good work with your 350D, a picture you can be proud on.
Regards, Henk

AROBN54 (10799) 2008-04-14 20:19

Hi, Toba,
this is wonderful!! You can sense the tension in the pose of the cheetah and see the shadows in the muscles all set to spring. The light and color are magnifcent and the contrast is excellent. I like the way you've gotten a blurred BG and the cheetah stands out so perfectly. This is fabulous work! Thanks and take good care,
Shelly

dvlazar (6492) 2008-04-14 22:53

Tobias! You are so lucky!!
You got a really clear, close and interesting capture of this beautiful animal. You should be very happy and proud of it!
Cheers
Dave

feather (50560) 2008-04-15 0:36

What an amazing experience to see a leopard so close. I thought we were lucky to see the one we did, but this one is fantastic. S/he looks so focused on something. The detail in the coat is wonderful and your composition is perfect with space in front of him/her to walk into. Excellent shot. Thank you too for the link
Kath

John_F_Kennedy (32340) 2008-04-15 2:25

Hallo Tobias,
schöne Momentaufnahem dieser Katze. Die schleichende Bewegung ist gut zu erkennen. Der Baum ist zwar eine gute Ergänzung, aber der Schwanz sollte nicht fehlen.
Viele Grüße,
Achim

rapha_lotz (8) 2008-04-15 8:13

Hi Toba!
Wirklich geiles Bild von einem Leoparden. Es ist ziemlich detailliert, scharf und es stimmen einfach die Farben... Mir gefällt die Position des Tieres, wie er hinter dem Baum hervorkommt!
Mach schön weiter so ;D
MfG Rapha

jusninasirun (10401) 2008-04-15 8:37

Hello Tobias. Excellent capture at close range at this cheetah. Interesting pose with superb sharpness and clarity. Good exposure under well lit environment. Best regards. Jusni

Philippe (11791) 2008-04-15 13:16

Hi, Tobias. The cheetah is a vrey elegant animal and here you froze a very nice attitude with the animal ready rush towards its prey. It stands out well against the grass in the background. As it's already been said, I regret a little the absence of the tail here . But, for the rest, it's a very good picture with good sharpness and colours.

capthaddock (28640) 2008-04-15 17:43

What a fascinating animal, good timing under the unpredictable circumstances, I still haven't decided where to go in July, shots like this make a trip to Africa more and more appealing.

(I think it's better that the tail is hidden by a tree rather than the edge of the frame, which would have indicated sloppy shooting.)

Dyerco (9396) 2008-04-15 22:20

Hi Tobias
Excellent DOF and exposure. These cats are usually in a reclining pose as they tend to sleep about 16 hours a day. Well done for getting this guy stalking his prey.
Phil

Angshu (34243) 2008-04-16 20:51

Hello Tobias
The cheetah looks tense & all coiled up for action. Well framed with space in front, and I also like the fact that the tail is hidden behind the tree. You're lucky that you got so close to the beautiful cat. Excellent shot!
Regards
Angshu

plimrn (19872) 2008-04-25 12:13

Hi Tobias,
What a wonderful trip and you certainly did well with your photography, This is an absoulutely stunning shot!!! The detail is excellent; your DOF softens the BG so this fellow seems to jump right out at you. Well done.
HLJ, Pat

burGu (4558) 2008-04-30 13:23

Hi Tobias,
I am quite impressed by the potential danger of your gallery! Hope you weren't injured during any of these sessions?
I am saving this photo to my PC, and will show it Mom, she is a great admirer of leopards :)
I totally agree you about elegancy of leopards, what an esthetic creature it is! Posture of body, figures on it... Like a very precious statuette...
Best wishes,
Burcu

Hellas (5127) 2008-05-02 3:14

You focused very well on cheetah and you created a pleasing background blur! The attribution of colour and the clarity are fine.
Warm regards,
Athanasios.