Phantom of the Forest

[Eric Gofreed]

The ocelot is a medium-sized wild cat found in South and Central America, Mexico, and parts of Texas. Weighing 15 to 35 pounds and growing up to 3.5 feet long. It is a nocturnal hunter. Its diet includes small mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish. Though fast and well-camouflaged, it faces threats from jaguars, pumas, and humans. Once hunted for its beautiful coat, the ocelot now struggles with habitat loss, but conservation efforts aim to protect this elusive predator.

I wish I could say we tracked this ocelot and carefully set up for a night shot, but that’s not the case. A Brazilian rancher has been feeding this cat nightly, turning it into a tourist attraction. For a fee, up to 30 people can sit in his bleachers, waiting in silence for the ocelot to appear and eat.

 

[JimFox]

It may not be totally natural, but it is still a kind of cool experience I bet. How many others were there when you were there? Did the rancher have a light set up?

I really like this Eric, you can almost see the hesitation in it's eyes.

 

[AlanLichty]

I'd rather get the shot this way with a wild cat as opposed to going to a zoo. Very nice capture.

 

[Alan Milnes]

Beauty Eric although maybe not so good that this wild animal is being habituated to being fed. Worse has happened. On my laptop the image looks a little soft. Any sharpening done?

 

[Trent Watts]

Wow. Just to get to see one and a photo to boot. Good one Eric.

 

[Eric Gofreed]

Beauty Eric although maybe not so good that this wild animal is being habituated to being fed. Worse has happened. On my laptop the image looks a little soft. Any sharpening done?

ISO 8000, 1/160 second handheld makes for a soft image. I used Topaz AI3 initially but switched to deNoise.

 

[Beth]

beautiful cat. nice, clean shot considering the settings.

 

[Joe Colozzo]

amazing sight non the less.

 

[Alan Milnes]

ISO 8000, 1/160 second handheld makes for a soft image. I used Topaz AI3 initially but switched to deNoise.

I hear you Eric. I have been using Topaz AI and been impressed with the results. LRC sharpen and denoise do a good job too.