This image of a handsome leopard (Panthera pardus) posing beautifully on a small hillock has been cropped slightly; the original includes more background. When I took the photo, I recollect deliberately including some of the background shrubs and trees, even though the light was quite tricky, with shaded and sunlight areas in the frame.

But it was late in the afternoon, so the light was not too contrasty and I opted for the wider view. I was using a 70-300mm lens, and this image was taken at a focal length of 115mm, so I could have zoomed in much tighter. I did take a couple of closer shots, but as luck would have it the leopard’s pose and position were less attractive, with the leopard’s head lined up with the tree trunk in the background.

I like adding background detail when appropriate as this places the subject in context. Whether it works in this case I’m still not convinced. I do believe a big blow-up of the image will be impressive, particularly with the warm background colors, so typical of African bushveld winters. Taken in Sabi Sand Game Reserve with a Canon EOS 400D and Canon 70-300mm IS USM lens, shutter-speed 1/640, aperture F5.6, ISO 400, 4.27pm, July. The 70-300mm is one of more than 60 Canon EF lenses designed for use with its range of digital and film single lens reflex EOS cameras.

White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), with redbilled oxpeckers riding on its back, sniffing the ground under an old, dead tree, Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa.

This picture was taken in July, mid-winter in the southern hemisphere, hence the brown, earthy colors of the vegetation. It was also quite late in the afternoon, so the waning sun has further warmed the colors. Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL (Canon Rebel XSi) fitted with a Canon EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM zoom lens, one of an impressive range of Canon telephoto lenses used extensively by wildlife photographers.

Detailed view of Burchell’s zebra (Equus quagga), Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa. Picture taken with a Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL (Canon Rebel XSi) fitted with a Canon EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM zoom lens. Exposure: 1/1600 at F6.3, ISO 400.

It’s sundowner time at Masuma Dam in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, with clusters of animals arriving for a drink before nightfall. As the elephants arrive for their turn, we see a small group of buffalo reluctantly moving off and heading back into the scrub mopani.

The photograph was taken with a Canon EOS 400D (Canon Rebel XTi) plus 70-300mm IS zoom lens. Shutter speed was a relatively slow 1/60 at an aperture of F11, with ISO set to 400. It was around 5.30pm in August (ie winter in the southern hemisphere so early sunset).

Great White Egret (Egretta alba) making a splash near the banks of Nyamithi Pan, Ndumo Game Reserve, South Africa. In all honesty, I can’t remember if the egret was landing or taking off, but think it was taking off after landing very briefly. The small bird standing on the bank (left foreground) is a Threebanded Plover (Charadrius tricollaris).

Camera used for this image was my Canon EOS 450D (Canon Rebel XSi 12.2MP) with a Canon EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS zoom lens at full zoom. Shutter speed was 1/640 at an aperture of f8.

Coca Cola ad reflected on the gleaming bodywork of a venerable old lady, a 1964 Austin Princess Mk IV, photographed at Cars in the Park, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Canon EOS 400D with 18-55mm IS lens, 1/200 at F8. The 18-55mm lens can be classified as a standard zoom within the range of Canon EF-S lenses that are designed specifically for use on Canon digital cameras with the smaller APS-C format sensors.

This picture of two blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) running across the path of our slowly approaching game drive vehicle was taken using a slow shutter speed to blur the background, emphasising the sense of movement and speed.

In this case I set the camera on TV (shutter priority) at a speed of 1/30th and panned the camera as best I could to follow the animals. In a safari vehicle, with seven or eight other passengers, this can be something of a challenge.

For the image in the previous post (Zebra in Winter Foliage), the shutter speed was faster (1/80th) while the subject was moving more slowly, hence much less motion blur.

Burchell’s Zebra (Equus quagga) moving through wooded grassland, the winter colors of the grass and shrubs warmed by the late afternoon sun, Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana.

I took the picture using a Canon 450D) Canon Rebel XSi 12.2MP) with 70-300mm IS zoom lens at a shutter speed of 1/80th and aperture set on F8. Focal length was 300mm and the ISO was 400.

The relatively slow shutter speed combined with panning the camera to follow the zebra has blurred the background – but not enough to create a real sense of motion blur. So I’ve used some digital manipulation to further soften and simplify the background while keeping the zebra acceptably sharp.