[Peter Rockstroh]

Jaguar, Self-portrait
Tikal National Park, Guatemala
Tri-X @ ASA 160 in HC-110
Galerie FB G4

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[SpecialK]

Other than a rare subject the photo is not especially...special, sorry. I'd crop off some of the top, though.

[Peter Rockstroh]

You are right. It is not an artsy wildlife image. It is technically not a good photo. To me what is special about this image is that it was taken in 1982.
Camera traps were just beginning to become a concept that could be developed into a tool for wildlife management. For this, and many other
images of wildlife rarely seen in the park (Guatemala was amidst a civil war in those years and the park had troops stationed within the park.
When headquarters forgot to send them food, they would shoot anything that moved), this was the only way to verify presence or absence by sector.
A camera (a K1000) with an IR trigger was loaded with Tri-X and every morning checked if it had fired. With a changing bag te exposed piece of film
was cut and then developed on site. Every night after setting the camera traps 8"x10" copies were printed from the negatives to make a map
and estimate the ranges of large mammals in that area. A coa duple of years ago I downloaded a little over 700 images from a chip of a camera trap at a local farm.
After that I look at that jaguar image taken nearly 40 years ago and it still is a damn good shot. (Attached a few frames from the camera trap)

[caliscouser]

Given the the circumstances I think it's a great capture.
Any photo of this magnificent and elusive creature is always welcome to my eyes.

Thanks for posting.

[brainwave]

Its a great photo. Maybe technically its not "pixel perfect", but the unuique subject more than makes up for it.

[SimplyCreativePhotography]

Its a great photo. Maybe technically its not "pixel perfect", but the unuique subject more than makes up for it.

Agree. In some ways the "less than perfect" image makes it stronger. Has more of a "stealth" feel to it.

[sergysergy]

Film 40 years ago + rare creature in the wild? No need for technicalities. Being able to capture it is already a 10 in my book. Well done Peter!

[saley]

Why "Self-portrait"?

[Peter Rockstroh]

Why "Self-portrait"?

The cat triggered the camera walking through the IR beam