Cheetah cubs at play

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

Three cheetah clubs playing and cavorting.

Specific Feedback

I struggle with out of focus foregrounds and in this photo the light change from foreground to background . What would you suggest for this photo for the foreground and light? Any general tips on how best to utilize out of focus foregrounds?

Technical Details

Canon 7D m2
100-400
ISO 160 200mm. F5.6. 1/1000

Hello Timothy and welcome to the forums. Lovely capture of the two facing cubs who look bright and attentive as they watch their sibling arriving. They are well exposed and look sharp.
The out of focus foreground is a bit of a challenge here. Generally these areas can show the viewer what else is happening in the scene and add context, but this third cub does dominate the frame quite a lot.
If you use processing software you could try making a mask over the foreground and lightening the area a little. This could help balance the overall impact of the picture.
Good luck with it.

Ryan,
Thanks so much for your recommendation. I will definitely give it a try.
Tim

Here is a repost with the recommended changes, still not a great foreground but better.

It’s an improvement Tim, it helps to balance the overall exposure of the shot.
Good work.