The Push
Fear killed more dreams than failure ever will. I have this quote taped to my computer. It's a constant reminder to move forward despite the fear, that itching voice inside my head that aims to dissuade me at every turn.
It was this voice that had me play it safe all those years. It sang the praises of stability and security, while happiness and fulfillment played second fiddle.
I could sit here and mourn the loss of all that time but I would rather focus on the road ahead. It's uncertain, yes. That's the chance one takes with risk, getting off that merry-go-round and pursuing something that everyone else believes to be elusive. But the reward is so much greater.
And while there will be loss along the way, as there always is, the gain still far outweighs playing it safe. For even in loss there is a lesson and an opportunity to improve, fine-tune and hone. To try again.
There is much freedom and independence in this pursuit. There is excitement in knowing I tried. And pure bliss when I have succeeded.
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Behind the Scenes - The Push
Travel is one of the best teachers and continuously opens my eyes to new and different things. I knew there would be many lessons from this trip, but I was actually surprised by how quickly they were introduced.
Day 2: Our itinerary in the Kalahari desert consisted of a cheetah encounter and a Bushman experience followed by a game ride.
This particular concept consisted of photographing a cheetah so I was super excited knowing this was going to take place on the second day of our trip. We gathered early to arrive on site at sunrise, to ensure these beautiful cats were bathed in gorgeous light, and were whisked up the road, less than a two minute drive to an enclosure.
I'm not sure what I was expecting at first. The Bagatelle Game Ranch did host a variety of animals to witness out in the open, but the cheetahs were not one of them. They had their own designated area about the size of a neighborhood block to roam. Three lived in this space; their names were Ralf, Etosha and Tuano.
Much like the grey wolves, the cheetahs are unwelcome predators to a growing population of farmers and game ranchers. To minimize the risk of losing their stock, sadly, farmers halved the cheetah population in the 80's.
Since then, the Cheetah Conservation Fund was born and massive efforts have been put into place to offer the cheetahs a safe haven. While an estimated 50 cheetahs roam freely in Etosha National Park (and we were lucky enough to see them), most live in conservation areas or in enclosures on game ranches. They are well cared for; their meals arrive on schedule, but without the ability to roam freely across the land.
Cheetahs pose very little threat, if any, to humans. I was actually surprised how close we were able to get to them; perhaps as close as 20 feet. One even purred. I'd like to think he wanted me to snuggle him!
No usable shots for my concept were captured at Bagatelle, but luck was on our side at Etosha National Park. As we were nearing the end of our safari ride, a mama cheetah and her two cubs were out on the prowl.
My dreams of photographing a running cheetah were not met, however, we did manage to witness this trio slowly walk across the road, without any obstructions whatsoever. From there, I was able to piece together body parts to make her appear as if she was running.
Want to see a speed edit on how this piece was created? Click here.
Side note: No cheetahs harmed during the making of this piece.
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