Panthera onca

[ArtByQJ]

The weather was a little chilly one day while in Florida so I went over to Zoo Miami. I had the most amazing encounter with this Jaguar. These shots were a little difficult, the cage sits atop of some rocks and you're really not supposed to climb them but there was a crowd of people who had made the journey around the bush and up to the fence. I was standing atop these rocks maybe 1-2 feet away from the Jaguar with only a thin mesh separating us. I was slightly worried that the little children were going to startle him causing him to attack the mesh. I had to push the lens against the cage to get the pictures because the camera would only focus on the mesh.

You can see more on my blog www.artbyqj.com



Cage by Art by QJ, on Flickr


Keeping a Watchful Eye by Art by QJ, on Flickr

 

[Overread]

Risky shot up on the rocks, but well worth the effort - looks like you got a great portrait of the cat! Maybe give the shot a little selective brightening to the foreground/face (or brighten the darks in editing).

Normally getting up close to the main wire around big cats is hard/impossible because there tends to be a barrier stopping one getting the lens right up to that main wire mesh - makes cat shots that much harder than many other animals at the zoo

 

[ArtByQJ]

Risky shot up on the rocks, but well worth the effort - looks like you got a great portrait of the cat! Maybe give the shot a little selective brightening to the foreground/face (or brighten the darks in editing).

Normally getting up close to the main wire around big cats is hard/impossible because there tends to be a barrier stopping one getting the lens right up to that main wire mesh - makes cat shots that much harder than many other animals at the zoo

Thanks there are more posted on my blog www.artby.com