The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I took this image of a leopard named Ravenscourt in the Sabi Sands area that borders Kruger National Park in S Africa. We came upon him as he walked down a road that served as a boundary between his territory and that of another leopard. Up ahead we could see a rise in the road. We cut into the bush in order to pass him and photograph him at the peak while we were on the downside of the rise so as to be on eye level with him. Hereās the end result.
Technical Details
Canonn EOS R 5 and 100-500m lens at 1/1000, f/8 and Auto ISO at 1250.
Beautiful shot, Richard! Fantastic angle of view, looking slightly upward at him. Ravenscourt is a very big male ā look at how broad his face is, and how powerfully-built his shoulders are! Your angle of view really conveys his confidence and power. I dream of getting this low for my shots!
For the photo itself, my only thought is to wonder if there might be more dried grass and vegetation on the right side of the photo than is necessary. Iām not sure about this, because it may be contributing to the sense of his motion in the image, and it definitely helps convey that heās walking along the edge of his territory. Itās just that thereās enough light-colored grass on the right side that it might be competing with him for my attention. Still, I havenāt downloaded your image to try it myself ā I may be wrong about this.
In any case, itās a fantastic shot of him! Composition, focus, DOF, exposure ā āspotā on. Congratulations, Richard. ā Michael
Very beautifully captured, I love it !
Head on look, great eye contact and raised paw, all add upto the frame. The only thing I would change while processing this frame is selectively sharpening the leopard, without sharpening the grasses.
Cheers
A great shot Richard, achieving that low level perspective really allows you to feel close to the leopard.
Iām with Jagdeep on the sharpening of the grass though.
Michael, J Rajput and Ryan: thanks for your comments and suggestions. In this version, I used a local mask to reduce the contrast, texture and clarity of the grasses. I think that itās a nice improvement. Richard
Both images are fantastic, Richard. I canād decide which oneās better. Iām watching a Smithsonian series on Zambiaās Luangwa Valley, following a leopard called Chipazua. Your image reminds me of that show. Well done.
Michael and David: thanks for your comments. I maintain contact with the manager of a lodge in the Sabi Sands area where Ravenscourt has his territory. Ravenscourt is 11 years old and starting to show that he is beyond his prime. His territroy is being encroached on by two younger leopards, one from the north and one from the east. In the past these incursions would have led to battles but now he is ceding territory.
Hi again, Richard. Your news of Ravenscourt brings me sad melancholy. I have had a special place in my heart for a leopard named Olimba, in South Luangwa National Park. I encountered her back in 2019 and spent a number of hours over two days in her company. I fell shamelessly in love with her. No other leopards Iāve seen before or since have had quite the same effect on me.
Olimba was later the subject of a wonderful documentary film called Leopard Legacy, filmed over three years by Will & Lianne Steenkamp. I encountered Olimba at a crucial point of time in her documentary, although I had no idea that the documentary was being made, or that she was to become a āmovie star.ā
Iām in touch with my guide a lot, and earlier this year I learned that Olimba is also on the decline. Itās the way of nature, of course; but this old anthropologist has a very strong streak of sentimentality, and too-easily forms attachments to the wild creatures he encounters in his life. Their demise is always a bit of a kick in his gut.
