Sister Lee Love

Gallery: WildlifePosted September 29, 2011139 views6 comments

Canon EOS 7D, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM MK II @ 120mm, Aperture Priority @ f/8 (1/500 sec), -1/3 EV, ISO 400, Handheld, JPEG from RAW, Copped about 30% from Full Frame

This is one of a serious of images I captured of Lion cub siblings at the Big Cat Reserve (Limpopo, South Africa). The larger one is the sister giving her brother an affectionate head-butt, which I guess is a bit of an oxymoron, but that's the way I see it!

Critique and comments always welcome.

Comments

6 comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on September 29, 2011 at 10:08 PM

I really enjoy seeing this sharp image of some typical feline behavior. Good timing. It would enhance the photo if the road wasn't quite as apparent but at least the color of the dirt works with the over all color scheme. Are the young males typically smaller than their female siblings in Lions?

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Anand Narayanan on September 30, 2011 at 1:35 AM

Is that really a head-butt

, looks like the adorable forehead nudge thing that a lot of cats do. The larger version has a lot more impact an i like the almost monotone look. Cropping off most of the foreground (to the point where the shadows start) might heighten the intimacy of the pic. Plenty of detail there to get away with a major crop.

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

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on September 30, 2011 at 3:58 PM

Wonderful action and playfulness, I like the the detail on the larger image and you got eye contact on one of the cubs, must of been a great trip, way to go.

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

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on September 30, 2011 at 11:51 PM

Excellent exposure and good interaction between the two youngsters. I like it as posted, but given the suggestion to trim a little of the foreground to minimize road awareness, I agree I would experiment with such a crop.

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

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on October 1, 2011 at 1:01 AM

Thanks for your thoughtful comments and suggestions Gary, Anand, Jim, and Lon :^)

As to the way I chose to crop this: I do agree that it's a little unfortunate to see evidence of a road in a shot like this, and a tighter crop would reduce one's awareness, however, while looking at the images I've been printing up lately I saw that the vast majority had the subjects filling up most of the frame, and seeing as I'm looking to make larger prints of some of my work for sale, I figured it would be good to have at least some that have full body shots of subjects composed in such a way as to make the image more of a picture that, when printed up large, doesn't seem to over-dominate the room in which the picture hangs ... if that makes any sense ;^)

Gary: I wouldn't know the answer to your question regarding whether young males are typically smaller than females, however, as I understand it this 6-month old female and her brother, who's 4 months old, had the same father but different mothers.

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Walters on October 1, 2011 at 10:03 PM

Nice low angle and I really like the interaction. Nice warm color as well.

Registered on October 30, 2005, 405 Posts, 3693 Comments