Expressions (Acinonyx jubatus)
Written by Thursday, 23 October 2008 22:36
“The soul is the something in all living creatures, although the body of each is different.” Hippocrates
|
|
Acinonyx jubatus (common name: Cheetah) The grace of cheetahs is undisputed. What I find intriguing is the way the black lines on their face accentuate different facial expressions. The first photo shows a young animal who was playing in his enclosure. During the game he got upset by one of the visitors; the transformation of its face from a playful kitten to a wild killer was instant. The second photo portrays a different individual from the same enclosure. This animal is an adult. It was sitting in a leisurely manner, yet the "pensive", almost sad, expression on its face was quite striking. The black lines, which adorn the face of cheetahs, accentuate this "sadness". As the face of the animal softens these lines look almost like tears. I have edited this photo (originally taken in colour) in black and white to ensure colour doesn't detract from the expression. In the third photo yet another individual is enjoying the winter sun. Its face is totally relaxed and as a consequence the lines become unimportant, one more marking amongst many others. Photos by Marina Parha Camera: Nikon D70 Camera: Nikon D70 Camera: Nikon D70 |
|
|
Cheetah II Large cats must be the most photographed animals both in zoos and in the wild. They are familiar but still ferocious. Elegant and powerful. Cute and deadly. They seem to represent a fine example of contradiction. The cheetah shown here was relaxed, taking care of its fur, basking in the sun which, in the end of December is scarce and thus very welcomed. These two pictures show the same animal and were taken 3 minutes apart. A sudden noise was enough for the joyful and relaxed kitty to become a predator trying to pinpoint the source of that noise. I liked the expression of the cheetah licking its fur with the eyes half closed as if nothing else mattered and its contrast to the second picture showing the animal alert looking for anything that could be a prey. The long focal length of the lens did an extremely good job here, serving two purposes. Firstly, it isolated the animal from the disturbing background (a wall). Secondly, it enabled me to eliminate the wiring of the enclosure which was between me and my subject and get a clear picture, as if the animal was in the wild. To achieve this I had to get the lens as close as I could to the wiring. 1. Camera: Nikon D2X 2. Camera: Nikon D2X |
|
|
Cheetah III In March 2006 4 cheetahs arrived at the Attica Zoological Park. This is how they reacted during the first contact with their new keeper…
. Camera: Nikon D80 |
MCH.jpg)
These photographs have been taken at the Attica Zoological Park. They cannot be reproduced without the written permission of the photographers. Please contact the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|