Graceful and reserved big cat
Anyone who has ever been on a safari and in search of a leopard knows how much patience you need and how lucky you are when the great moment arrives. The beautiful big cat has made itself comfortable in a tree. As a photographer, you aim at your long-awaited target from a distance that offers safety on the one hand and imposes a need for a long focal length on the other. Every wrong move, every noise, every approach to the subject can softly ruin the scene. You can’t help but try to breathe calmly and press the shutter button.
This photo was taken in Tanzania, December 2024, when I was lucky enough to see 2 specimens of this beautiful animal in just a few days. The lighting conditions were anything but ideal with this one: backlighting, the big cat appeared almost like a silhouette, the sky looked white and empty.