The King Is Thirsty

I am assuming that this is not a captive? Great shot. How far and how did you know when to trigger the shutter? Just curious. - SandyLee

Not captive. The fact that this was a really tiny waterhole was of vital importance to get this shot. There were some bushes on the right side, so I knew animals were not going to drink there. By positioning my vehicle very close to the waterhole, only a few meters away from the bush, I knew that most animals would prefer the opposite side. So I was actually very close to the camera, and there were a couple of visual pointers that I kept my eye on. That said, it was a bit hit and miss, but on the third day everything was just right; the late afternoon sunlight, the pose of the animal, the reflection. I've done this with other animals as well, with great results. This is also slightly cropped.

An absolutely stunning image Marsel. The light and low perspective really put this in a class of its own. Well done.

Not much to criticize here, except that the caption maybe should say "Queen" and not "King"? A really remarkable shot.

Jim - it's a young male, not a female.

A lovely image Marsel. Nice usage of wider lens !
A tight frame - yet showing the distant habitat, the lovely light & low angle of shooting indeed makes the image stand out. Your thought process has resulted in a 'different-from-routine' image. Thanks for sharing.
How did you lock focus (u've got it perfect on its eyes) - was it manually pre-focused at an anticipated area ? Could you share some more info on making this image...

Another great image Marsel Lovely light, especially on the face. And I really like being able to see the ripples created by his tongue lapping at the water.

Marsel,

as usual great image from you, nice explanation. The light conditions, and the pose are very nice.

Marsel, this is fantastic! As a variation I would have liked to see this as a horizontal with more of the environment included. I have been dreaming about making images like this and am planning to realise that this coming summer. Did you use a wireless transmitter connected you a laptop or just an infrared remote control? I am hesitant to purchase the Canon wireless set-up since in practice it apparently has a lot of shortcomings.

Su[er nice. I love the low angle and the perfect lighting. A tiny nit: It feels slightly crowded to me on the left edge. I think Vincent's idea of a horizontal (if possible in that given situation/set-up) is a good one. Of course, the reflection is a key part of this image...All in all, a top shelf capture, masterfully done.

Excellent capture Marsel, the lighting is great, and I love the tongue!
A wonderful moment frozen in time!

Thanks for your comments - much appreciated.

@ Balukamar: I manually pre-focused on an area slightly in front of where I anticipated the animal's head would be.

@ Vincent: I used a radio-controlled remote, generally used in studios to trigger multiple flashes. I don't use infrared because you have to be in line of sight, and I'm often not.

The reason I chose for the (tricky) vertical framing is the fact that I wanted to include the entire reflection and the subject and the reflection already have a vertical direction. I did shoot horizontal versions as well, but I prefer this one.

Marsel, I think this is a remarkable shot! I agree with you about the reflection and IMO, keeping this shot tight gives it a feel of intamacy.

Yet another gorgeous one Marsel. Stunning composition!

Shane

Great shot, I like it very much.

Absolutely fantastic Marsel! Love the difference in light between the face and the rest of the body.

Mind if I ask what park this was in? I'm assuming one of the private ones?

Jeez, everytime i visit this EP gallery i end up seeing one of your shots--you oughta take a break and give the rest of us a shot Seriously, awesome shot, perfect pose, congrats on the EP!

Masterfully created image, Marsel. I like seeing this young male over the more usual dominant male or lioness. Your forethought and planning and experience really paid off. Congratulations.

Love it! Congrats on the well deserved EP, Marsel!

Marsec there are no words at all. Comp, situation, patience, tecnics. Congrats.

Congrats on the EP. Perfect shot!

This is just FANTASTIC!!!

Congrats on the 2008 EPA, Marsel. I don't visit this gallery often and I can tell I've been missing some great images.

Beautiful image! Congratulations!

Congrats on the 2008 EPA, Marsel...excellent work!

Congratulation for winning a top spot and fantastic image.