Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
A Leopard sitting on a flat rock in Kenya

I photographed this subject towards the end of a long day in the Maasai Mara National Park, Kenya. A lot of vehicles were gathered around the site, but thanks to the skill of my guide/driver he managed to find a gap through which I could shoot. The leopard was some distance away to I had to use my 500mm f4 lens. There was no support available on that side of the vehicle. I had to balance the lens on top of the lens case, wedged between my knees ! It is my only non-VR lens so I was very pleased that it was sharp. I think the tongue showing adds a different feature to the shot.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2023
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: Narok, Kenya
Copyright: © Andrew Bennett