This shot is all about being in the right place at the right time. We first encountered this hunting cheetah early one morning. Our guide spotted two small ears sticking up above the tall grass. He instantly knew there was a cheetah in the grass stalking a group of Thomson’s gazelles. We parked our vehicle, with the sun at our backs about 50 yards away. Waiting nearly two hours she finally started crawling ever so slowly and suddenly we were rewarded with a lightning quick run toward the grazing gazelles. Luck favors those that are prepared. In this situation I had time to discuss what to expect with my safari group, and many of us got great images. In a few seconds the spectacular event was over, and we had wonderful images and an unforgettable memory.
Equipment & Settings:
Canon 1D Mark IV
Canon 500mm F4 lens, F5.6, 1/1000th sec. Servo Tracking Mode, Continuous High Speed Capture Rate
Camera on bean bag atop safari vehicle
