Tuesday
Jun072011
Photo of the Day - Tamboti Leopard, Mala Mala
Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at 09:18AM
Tamboti Female Leopard
Mala Mala Game Reserve, South Africa.
Nikon D700, 200-400mm f/4 VR, 1/400 @ f/4, ISO 3200
When photographing leopards, especially up close, I think the connection with the viewer is all about the eyes of the subject. I had to balance depth of field to obtain sharp eyes, minimum shutter speed so I didn’t have a blurry photograph, and a blurry background. I took about 6 images in the series, and I ended up choosing one of the images taken at f/4. I do like to bracket my depth of field in situations such as this, moving between a couple of stops. I have images at f/4 through f/11, and the problem with my f/11 images were a sub-optimal ISO (6400) and shutter speed (1/160).
tagged Leopard, Mala Mala, South Africa in Photo of the Day
Leopard, Mala Mala, South Africa in Photo of the Day
Reader Comments (6)
Such a beautiful portrait! While the eyes of any subject are important in an image, there's something special about the eyes of a big cat that suck me in further, and make it hard to look away. Perhaps that's especially true of any predatory species as well.
Hi Andy - Stunning capture and I love the textures. When I saw the Tamboti female in Jan. 2011, she had a huge scar on her face. I'm on my way back on the 27th; and, hope that the leopards are doing well. I'm a bit concerned because of the density of lion prides.
Have a great time, Chris. I don't have any plans to be at Mala Mala currently, and miss spending time there. Say hello to the gang for me.
Did you shoot in Manual mode or Aperture priority and then bracket depth of field? Would Auto ISO help you here to eliminate one more setting?
James, I usually shoot in Aperture Priority mode during most shooting conditions, and when I shoot these types of shots I switch to manual. I do use Auto ISO from time to time, but I guess I am still an Aperture Priority or Manual guy at heart.
Thanks Andy. BTW, I love my Kiboko. Took it with me on a trip to Tanzania last year nearly 40 lbs of gear and it worked like a trooper. Going back this year with a bigger lens, hope everything fits. :)
BTW, stunning shot of the leopard.