Photographed in early morning overcast skies, through rain @600mm (900mm 35mm equivalent) with 2x TC. Over 2500m above sea level, the sun was just creeping over the horison, but blocked by cloud at the superb Golden Gate Highlands National Park in South Africa.
A 4 hour drive from my home in Johannesburg. Spent 4 days back and forward to the site waiting for three Black Backed Jackal to approach the Zebra carcass. They are very skittish and have the sharpest hearing. It was extremely cold, the wind blowing over snow covered mountains. Eventually after a 2 hours wait on day 3 one Jackal approached the carcass and briefly took a bight of the Zebra, and then heard the shutter click and took off. This is how hard it is to get a shot like this in the wild. They normally feed at night when the park is closed.
Thank you to commenter’s who understand the shot difficulty and uniqueness with a 7.9 Average. Sadly the DPC collective thinks it's worth below average 5.5/5.2
When is DPC going to add a "Wildlife" category for true wild photography?
Ah Harvey, I didnt vote. Such a wonderful moment not seen by many. Not even many wildlife photographers of note would have waited for a shot like this. Good man for applying patience and perseverence. Thanks for this in my back yard at a place I have not been yet.
Hi Rian, wildlife IQ is overrated (if termed in shot crispness and sharpness for every shot). DPC voting on the whole appears too fussy and preoccupied with crisp and clear (for every genre/subject). This is shot through rain, mist and about 80 meters of atmospheric haze in very low light overcast conditions. This is what is so annoying to me that everyone (not you specifically) expects zero "wild" conditions in a wildlife image. Wildlife photography is about the situation, the weather, the moment etc and it is not a studio nor should Post Processing make it more than what it was. The DSLR RAW file is flat, and has to be brought to life. It is nothing like what the eye sees at time of shot as you know. Sometimes this scene presents itself in a dustbowl with Vultures and Jackal and Lion scrapping over the carcass. There's so much dust that the possibility of a "crystal clear" shot is near impossible but that is surely how it is? Raw and untouched? Occasionally one will get a pristine shot just after rain where there are no atmospheric issues; dust, mist, rain, heat haze but seldom.
If one looks at last years winner of the NHM Wildlife Photographer of the year shot by Greg Du Toit, it was a shot of Elephant taken at their feet with an UWA 16-35mm, massive DOF, blurred. Totally off the wall non traditional. Dusty, low light, rough, not much crisp clear IQ at all blurred due low shutter speed. It was a victory for "as shot".
In wildlife circles this is the norm; as shot. Images aren't penalised because of a lack of clarity.
ETA: The comedian in me says perhaps I should have offered the Jackal a napkin, knife and fork. Might have made the image less nauseating to some! That could be the reason. Dislike of the subject? Too gruesome as you say?
Hey Harvey. Gruesome shot and raw Africa for sure. Notice you comments on light and shooting at 1600 ISO. A very close and personal shot that is needed to bring out the effect of what's happening here. Not much one could do with the IQ on these settings but maybe this enhances the RAW effect..?
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