Focus

Not one of everybody's favourite, possibly because of their scavenging antics but also their role in the Lion King as they schemed with Scar to get rid of Mufasa and Simba. I have made it my quest to try and campaign to highlight the character of these intriguing creatures to all of my guests.

It’s amazing how an image can lead you to think something when it in fact is the complete opposite. On first review you would have possibly believed that this hyena was in pursuit of a vulnerable animal, given this animals reputation? These hyenas were just having fun and showing off all their character for everyone to see.

This particular sighting was just amazing! We watched for the best part of an hour as four young hyenas played in a waterhole while two adults watched from a distance. This particular image was a result of a humorous scene as this hyena was in pursuit of a fellow clan member who claimed the prize of the game - a branch from a Magic Guarri bush.

Equipment Used

• Camera - Nikon D4S
• Lens and Focal length - Nikkor 200-400mm F4 VRII @400mm

Settings used to capture this image

• ISO – 2500
• Aperture –f6.3
• Shutter – 1/4000

Editing used on this image

Due to the overcast conditions, I had to push the ISO because I needed a fast shutter speed to freeze the image to ensure focus. I needed to use an aperture of 6.3 because the hyena was coming close to the vehicle so needed a aperture that would be a little more forgiving.

First things first in any image, is to crop to create the right composition. Utilising “the rule of thirds” I positioned the hyena in the top left of the image to identify with the eyes - the focal point of the image. The next part was to have the subject looking into the space in the scene, leading in the viewers eye. I then pushed up the contrast to +25 to create a bit of texture as it was an overcast day. Highlights in this needed a little emphasis to bring out the droplets, unfortunately this also affected the water on the left blowing out the highlights but the droplets are a key part in the drama of the image. Clarity, vibrance and saturation gave the image a bit of “punch”. The only thing that was left was to use some Post-Crop Vignetting to darken the edges to draw in the viewers eye to the subject.

I always believe that an image must tell a story, but that story can be misconstrued by our perceptions and emotions - that is the power of photography. I have no doubt that after a little explanation, I might not have changed your perception of hyenas, but I certainly changed your perception of what was happening when taking this image. #givehyenasachance