Mating leopards

Gallery: WildlifePosted April 3, 20041,922 views7 comments

I like to share with you few pictures from my mating leopards night shooting. The qualities of pictures are not the best for many reasons:
- Night make very difficult to focus
- Leopards changing place very often
- You can not put fast car in correct place
- Bush and high grass make them invisible most of the time
- And many others, you know.

All picture made with Canon 1Ds, 70-200 IS f/2.8 and Metz 70MZ-5 flash, any comments welcome

Other pictures:
<a href=http://www.1000gkphotos.com/np/C94V1437-72np.jpg target="_blank">BEFORE</a>
<a href=http://www.1000gkphotos.com/np/C94V1442-72np.jpg target="_blank"> BEFORE 2</a>
<a href=http://www.1000gkphotos.com/np/C94V1445-72np.jpg target="_blank">AFTER</a>

 george 
<a href="http://www.1000gkphotos.com" target="_blank">www.1000gkphotos.com</a>
<a href="http://www.photoportfolios.net/portfolio/pf.cgi?a=up&pi=gkphoto" target="_blank">Online Portfolio</a>

Comments

7 comments

Comment posted by Troy Verde on April 3, 2004 at 10:50 PM

A very well handled photo of what I’m sure is a rare behavioral sight. You did a great job in a difficult light situation.

Registered on November 10, 2003, 24 Posts, 158 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Bates on April 4, 2004 at 8:13 AM

Great capture, George!! Something most of us will not see in our lifetime!

Michael

Registered on November 1, 2003, 149 Posts, 2381 Comments

Comment posted by Diane Schlichting on April 4, 2004 at 1:05 PM

Great work. You are very fortunate to be able to view and photograph this. Having been in Africa, I can truly appreciate the difficulty of capturing these guys in the wild.

Registered on February 24, 2004, 15 Posts, 19 Comments

Comment posted by Milo Burcham on April 5, 2004 at 1:53 AM

Very neat shot, especially considering the difficulties. Does the infared beam on the flash aid in focusing in these situations, or does it not work this far out? Good job!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 80 Posts, 584 Comments

Comment posted by George Kaczmarek on April 5, 2004 at 2:24 AM

Milo for focus I have been using car’s spotlight. Our Guide operated the spotlight, that make even more difficult, most of the time when I have been ready to push shooter button he move light to other position.

 george 
<a href="http://www.1000gkphotos.com" target="_blank">www.1000gkphotos.com</a>
<a href="http://www.photoportfolios.net/portfolio/pf.cgi?a=up&pi=gkphoto" target="_blank">Online Portfolio</a>

Registered on January 8, 2004, 204 Posts, 122 Comments

Comment posted by Bart Breet on April 6, 2004 at 2:23 PM

George, congratulations with this exceptional wildlife photograph!
I hope you realise how lucky you are to see mating leopards in the wild. I know many game rangers in Kruger how have worked in the African bush for decades, and never seen anything like this.
Not many wildlife photographers will have an image of this very rare behaviour.

Bart

Registered on November 12, 2003, 28 Posts, 66 Comments

Comment posted by Andy Biggs on April 12, 2004 at 10:38 AM

This is an exceptional capture of leopard behavior that not many people ever witness. Thank you for posting, and I look forward to seeing more!

Registered on December 5, 2003, 8 Posts, 32 Comments