Savute Lion Cub

Gallery: WildlifePosted May 17, 2011375 views13 comments

Another member of the pride we spent some quality time with in Botswana last week. I am looking forward to getting to know this resident pride better when I return on my photographic safari later in the year.

The side-lighting from the setting sun provided some nice dappled light through the acacias.

Techs:
Canon 7D with 300mm f2.8 L IS USM
f4.0 @ ISO-800

Comments

13 comments

Comment posted by Anand Narayanan on May 17, 2011 at 8:40 PM

Stellar light, pose and composition

Registered on October 25, 2009, 110 Posts, 835 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Canuel on May 17, 2011 at 10:40 PM

Great light and color here Morkel and I like the pose.

Registered on September 12, 2010, 53 Posts, 660 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on May 18, 2011 at 7:26 AM

My favourite todate Morkel, just love the great light here. Not sure if I would prefer a little less on the RHS and added to the LHS. Would remove the branch LHC.

I think the flash worked better here.

TFS
Steve

Registered on March 25, 2007, 189 Posts, 1064 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on May 18, 2011 at 9:28 AM

Beautiful light n pose here !
Love that glossy eye ! Agree with Steve about cloning out that branch on LHS.
Jagdeep Rajput

Registered on April 29, 2008, 686 Posts, 2857 Comments

Comment posted by Brad Hill on May 18, 2011 at 10:15 AM

Hi Morkel,

Very sweet light and captured (and processed) very well. The lighting (and your treatment of it) produces a near 3D effect - well done. If the image were mine I'd be tempted to shave a little off the right side and add about the same amount on the left side. I'm struggling with what I think of the branch in the top left corner - the lighting and subject are so strong my eyes were definitely pulled there first (and not distracted by the branch) and perhaps it could be argued that the presence of it might make a viewer linger a LITTLE longer on the image (that good old "second look")? I CAN see the argument that it's a distraction, but...

Bottom line - pretty nice eye candy and a pleasure to look at...

Cheers...

Brad

Registered on May 29, 2007, 431 Posts, 6061 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on May 18, 2011 at 4:04 PM

Wonderful directional lighting and the head turn really make this for me. Excellent detail in the larger version and I like the composition as is. My eyes went right for the cub and did not notice the branch until I read the other comments, way to go, well done.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on May 18, 2011 at 4:31 PM

thanks a lot for the kind comments folks.

Including more space on the LHS includes more branches in the frame. The reason I left the little branch in there is basically that cropping it out produces too "square" of a crop for my tastes, and I'm not very much into cloning in what I deem "natural history" images of mine

...

Registered on March 22, 2011, 385 Posts, 2068 Comments

Comment posted by Joe James on May 18, 2011 at 10:32 PM

Phenomenal lighting and I love the catch light in they eye....very well done here Morkel!

Registered on November 20, 2009, 89 Posts, 808 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on May 19, 2011 at 10:29 AM

Terrific profile and eye treatment. I like this as posted and to my eye the little branch is not a distraction at all.

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on May 19, 2011 at 4:24 PM

thanks for viewing and commenting, Lon and Joe

Registered on March 22, 2011, 385 Posts, 2068 Comments

Comment posted by Monica Siri on May 29, 2011 at 3:56 AM

Morkel,
superb light and great pose. Very well done. Congrats on the EP.