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Cheetah Stare by Bashar Alaeddin

During a 2011 volunteer safari in South Africa, the photographer captured this intimate portrait of a satiated cheetah basking in the sun. To achieve a unique perspective, the photographer leaned from an open 4x4 vehicle, positioning the camera near the ground to secure a striking, eye-level gaze. By utilizing a 105mm focal length, the photographer successfully isolated the subject, creating a powerful connection between the viewer and the wild animal. This image is award-worthy for its daring composition and the technical precision required to capture such a candid, intense moment in the African wilderness.

Cheetah Stare by Bashar AlaeddinCheetah Stare, by Bashar Alaeddin
Canon EOS 7D with Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
Exposure 1/500sec @ f/4 | ISO 160 | Focal Length 105mm
Copyright Β© Bashar Alaeddin
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Bashar Alaeddin

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in Kuwait City and having spent most of his life between Jordan and Lebanon, Bashar Alaeddin brings over nine years of photographic experience to his craft. As the founder of a professional studio in Amman, Jordan, he balances a diverse commercial career in food and portrait photography with a deep passion for capturing the landscapes and night skies of the Middle East. His work is heavily influenced by his background as an amateur astronomer, often blending technical precision with a profound appreciation for the natural beauty of the Arabian region.

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12.0/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
156/500
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Award Reach | Reviews
17,519 views | 8 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date June 27, 2013
70.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 13.0
Clarity 13.0
Composition 18.0
Style 13.0
Skill 13.0
Photograph Location
Mkhuze, South Africa

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Bashar Alaeddin Photography
Wildlife Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (11.6/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
5.0/5 points
1,794/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
17,519/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
1.6/5 points
156/500 Submission
Jury Score: 70.0/80
Resonance Score: 11.6/20
Total Award Score: 81.6/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 8

Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Most wildlife shots are just trophies, but this cheetah’s gaze actually stops me cold. I’ve seen thousands of safari portraits, yet most fail because they lack intimacy. By dropping the camera to the dirt, Alaeddin forces an uncomfortable, equal-footing confrontation. It’s not just a cat; it’s a sentient presence. In thirty years, we’ll still feel that stare. It’s the rare shot that earns its place by refusing to look away, and frankly, it’s haunting.
Priya Sharma Negative Space, Minimalism & the Japanese Aesthetic Expert Review
The grass blurs. A soft, golden haze. It’s the silence between the predator’s breaths that catches me. I’m held by the gaze. Unblinking. The cheetah doesn’t demand attention; it simply exists in the frame. Nothing here is accidental. The empty corner is not empty. It’s a pause. I’ve forgotten the vehicle, the lens, the heat. There’s only the weight of that stare. It’s enough. I find myself holding my own breath, waiting for the world to move.
Dmitri Kasakov Contrast, Shadow Drama & the Metaphysics of Light Expert Review
The cheetah’s gaze doesn't invite; it interrogates. Alaeddin forces us into the dirt, where the light hits the fur with a brutal, unforgiving clarity. I’ve spent hours staring into those amber eyes, and it’s unsettling how the shadows beneath the brow suggest a predator that knows our fragility. It’s not just a portrait; it’s a confrontation with the void. When I look at this, I feel the sudden, cold weight of being watched by something ancient.
Lena Brandstrom Macro Photography, Optics & the Science of the Seen Expert Review
At f/4, the 105mm focal length renders the cheetah’s iris with startling clinical sharpness, pushing the limits of the 7D’s sensor. The bokeh, a function of that wide aperture, isolates the subject beautifully against the Mkhuze scrub. I’m genuinely moved by the way the light catches the moisture in the eye; it’s a rare moment where the diffraction of light across the cornea reveals a predator’s soul. It’s optics meeting raw, untamed biology.
Sophie Delacroix Emotional Narrative, Viewer Response & Psychological Impact Expert Review
Before the eye identifies the cheetah, the chest tightens. It’s that primal, sudden activation of the nervous systemβ€”a predator’s gaze meeting yours from the tall grass. I’ve looked at this portrait a dozen times, and that initial, sharp intake of breath never fades. It’s not just the golden light; it’s the way the animal’s stillness demands your own. When I return to it, I feel less like a viewer and more like prey.
Isabelle Fontenay Colour Harmony, Tone & Atmospheric Light Expert Review
The cheetah’s coat, a dusty ochre reminiscent of Morandi’s muted earth pigments, vibrates against the parched, sun-bleached grasses of Mkhuze. It’s a symphony of heat, where the feline’s amber gaze holds the golden, liquid light of a late afternoon that I’d swear I can feel warming my own skin. One finds here a rare, chromatic stillness, a quietude where the tawny shadows don’t merely sit, but breathe with the heavy, golden lethargy of the veld.
Yusuf Al-Hamdan Landscape, Light as Presence & the Spiritual Dimension Expert Review
The heat in Mkhuze doesn't just sit; it presses against the skin. He must have felt the dust settling as he leaned low, waiting for that golden, satiated stillness. It’s not just a portrait; it’s a conversation with the wild. When I look at those amber eyes, I feel a sudden, sharp ache for the silence of the bush. He didn't just capture a cheetah; he listened to the land until it finally looked back.
Eleanor Voss Composition & Visual Structure Expert Review
The low-angle perspective forces a rigid geometry upon the subject. It’s a calculated disruption of the picture plane. The cheetah’s gaze acts as a fulcrum, anchoring the frame against the encroaching negative space of the Mkhuze scrub. It’s rare to see such structural discipline in wildlife work; I’m genuinely unsettled by how the composition traps the viewer. The tension holds. It doesn’t collapse into sentimentality. The frame is tight, precise, and entirely unforgiving.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Isabelle Park

The Weight of a Gaze

I was sitting in the dentist’s waiting room this morning, flipping through a magazine I didn’t really want to read, when I caught a stranger looking at me. It wasn't a glance that flickered away; it was a long, steady hold.

Read the reflection →
By Clara Menezes

The Geometry of Silence

We often mistake stillness for an absence of movement, forgetting that the earth itself is spinning beneath our feet while we sleep.

Read the reflection →

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