The Process of Shooting and Editing This Cheetah Photo
I have been travelling to Tanzania for over a decade. As I reflected on which sequence of photos to choose, I noticed a significant change in the types of photos I was taking. Some might attribute this to maturity in my photography, while others might say it’s due to the improved gear I now use. However, I believe the real change lies in my perspective on the environments I travel through, combined with shifts in my personal life.
Allow me to explain. As I get older, I have come to appreciate my adventures more deeply. Ten years ago, I never considered that each tour could be my last in East Africa. Now, I cherish every moment on safari. Aging has led me to document my journeys in a different way. I now think about my family at home, who may never see the wonders I experience. I aim to tell a more comprehensive story, showing animals in their natural habitats, exploring their daily lives, and capturing interactions between species. I bring this series of photos home to illustrate the life of the species rather than just seeking that one perfect picture as I did in my early visits.
In this post, I focus on a mother Cheetah and her cubs right after she secured a meal for them. This is just part of a complete story told through a series of images. However, for the sake of this post, I want to zoom in on this particular encounter and share my thought process: what I was thinking, what image I was looking for, why I chose the image I did, and the editing steps I went through to create the final image.
PHOTOS OF THE Cheetah Mother and Cubs THAT I WAS SEEING during this encounter TO GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE
WHY THIS PHOTO? WHAT SETTINGS DID I USE? WHAT SITUATIONAL DECISIONS DID I MAKE TO TO CAPTURE THIS?
Why This Photo?
A mother Cheetah has a difficult time raising her cubs. A female cheetah can birth one to eight cubs in one litter, with the average size of a litter being four cubs. And based on my experience, only two to four of these cubs survive.
She will spend about 18 months with her cubs, keeping them safe, ensuring they are fed, and teaching them the vital skill of hunting. Although not fully adept at hunting at 18 months, independent male and female cubs will stick together for a few more months to master their hunting skills.
She always has to be on alert when her cubs are young. As much as we all think of them as predators, the young can be prey to wild dogs, hyenas, lions, and leopards. Her dual role of hunter and protector forces her to leave them alone as she stalks prey. This can be a stressful time for us as onlookers. We understand their vulnerability, and we have to decide if we should stay close to watch them or follow Mom in the hopes that we will photograph that once-in-a-lifetime Cheetah chase.
In this photo, I wanted to portray how a mother Cheetah feeds her young. I wanted to explain that she is always on alert. She will find a meal, get the nourishment she needs, and then watch over her cubs while they eat. It was important for me to show both cubs eating for survival while the mother scans the plains for any intruders.
What Settings Did I Use?
Camera: I was using my go-to camera, the mirrorless Nikon Z9
Lens: Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR
Aperture: F/8 - These cheetahs were moving around to get different access to the carcass. I have used this combination enough to know that at 40-45 meters (130-147 feet) away from the subject, I needed to increase my aperture to get a depth of field that would make sure all three cheetahs were in focus. If you do not have PhotoPills, I suggest you download it and learn what depth of field your camera and lens combination offers at varying distances to your subject. You can easily do this at home before your photo trip.
Shutter Speed: 1/2000th of a second - At any moment, a Cheetah can spring into action. I always err on the side of caution and have my shutter speed up in case of spontaneous action. If I have time to scan the scene to know spontaneous action will not happen, I will drop my shutter speeds down to get a better ISO.
ISO: 2000 - I usually set my ISO to auto. Today’s mirrorless cameras can handle almost all ISO’s you will get on a safari. It's just one less thing to think about.
Focus Mode: Wide Area, Large with animal eye detect enabled.
What Decisions Did I Make To Create This Photo?
Eye Contact - It was important to me to capture an image where I had eye contact with the mother Cheetah.
Include all 3 Cheetah – I wanted to make sure I included all 3 Cheetah. The one in the back was not always visible.
Capture Emotion – I looked through all of my images to see if I captured emotion. I found this image where the mother did not look impressed we were too close for her comfort.
Include the kill – I wanted a position that showed what they were eating. You can see that I achieved an angle where the zebra pelt was noticeable.
Shoot at eye level – You have two decisions of where to photograph when in a safari vehicle. From the top or through the window. I photographed this through the window while seated to make sure I was at eye level and not photographing the Cheetah from above.
Brace yourself when shooting from a vehicle – When photographing from a vehicle, others may move at the most inopportune time. Brace yourself to stabilize your camera and lens. Use a beanbag or rolled-up jacket to help you brace your arm and camera gear.
Shoot in burst mode – You never know when the perfect photo will present itself. Don't wait to see the perfect photo; shoot in burst mode and give yourself the opportunity to find the perfect photo later. It’s just digital memory and time… Go through the images quickly when you get back to camp. I would rather do that than realize you missed the perfect shot.
Patience – A regular safari will have you rushing from species to species to try and show you as many animals as possible. When on a photo safari, have some patience. Wait for the right moment, and don’t settle for a snapshot of a sleeping Cheetah in the tall grass. ;-)
Editing Steps I Made To This Image
Crop – I placed the Cheetah to the left of the image. I did not want to place them in the center. I left enough room above and below and to the left of the Cheetah so they were not crowded, then left more than ample room to their right. It has a nice, balanced feel to the image.
Subject Editing – I was photographing these cheetahs on an overcast day. It is like shooting under a big soft box. The light was even, and the sun was not blowing out the highlights. Editing the Cheetah was as simple as using an adjustment to lighten the eyes to make you have a better connection with them. I then lowered the highlights a bit to ensure they were not too bright. I then increased the contrast and slightly increased the luminosity to make them for stand out more. The last step was to sharpen the fur.
Editing the background – This photo did not require much. There were no highlights from water drops on the green grass, and the colour was pretty flat. The one thing I did do to the background was reduce the clarity and texture to try and reduce any details. That is a personal preference.
Keywording of this image – Cheetah, safari, Kevin Pepper, Kevin Pepper Photography, Tanzania, Serengeti, February, 2022, Cheetah cubs, zebra kill, Baracka, Namiri Plains, safari vehicle, photo workshop
A Series of Photos I Put Together To Tell A Story of the Life Of A Cheetah
A safari is seeing real life, its not a movie set. Here, a mother Cheetah and her cubs eat a baby zebra. You can see the mother hanging around in the backgound of this photo.
A mother Cheetah teaching her cub how to use an elevated position to search for food.
A baby Cheetah is small and vulnerable, no higher than a wild flower growing in a meadow.
A Cheetah will loose that silver hair when they are 3-4months old.
Cheetah siblings can stay together for a period of time after they leave their mother. They hunt together and keep each other company.
A young Cheetah using the skills his mother taught him - using an elevated position to hunt from.
The life of a mother Cheetah is no different than a human… the babies always want to play.
A Cheetah is unsuccessful more times that it is successful when hunting.
Conclusions
Think about the people back home who do not get to see what you are photographing. While you are there for your own enjoyment, keeping in mind that you want to tell a safari story will help you create better images. I learned this by a happy accident. Maybe you can benefit from my article and learn this lesson sooner than I did. :-)
If you want to see the African safaris that I lead for Akari Photo Tours, check out our tour lineup. We would be happy to talk about any tour that may interest you. Click on the button below, and we hope to see you on a safari soon.