Dawn Alert

Gallery: WildlifePosted June 23, 2013324 views17 comments

Here's a young male lion just before dawn, photographed from the same research hide in Etosha.

I blended 2 versions of the same RAW file (one processed darker for the sky) to get the look & feel I was after, the same mood and look I saw and felt that morning.

One second later (okay, maybe 3 seconds) the sun peeked over the horizon exactly where the lion is looking to.

Techs:
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 VR-II @ 200mm
f4.0 | 1/200 SS | ISO-400
EV +0.7
Slight crop from top and RHS, but still about 98% of original FF image.

Comments

17 comments

Comment posted by Guy Nelson on June 23, 2013 at 5:53 PM

Hi Morkel,
I think this is fantastic.. great point of view, awesome pose, all around great image
Well done!

Guy

Registered on October 12, 2012, 24 Posts, 138 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on June 23, 2013 at 6:25 PM

Brilliant photo Morkel, right down to the dawn catchlight in the eye. Can't say whether its the smooth color gradient in the sky or the inferior shooting position that are my favorite aspects of your photo.

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

Comment posted by Allen Brooks on June 23, 2013 at 9:42 PM

I like the angle this was shot from. Beautiful animal, well captured.

Registered on July 27, 2011, 262 Posts, 2597 Comments

Comment posted by Max Waugh on June 24, 2013 at 12:29 AM

The low angle and subtle background colors are very nice, but I think you really nailed this with the nice exposure on the face and the catch light, as Gary mentioned.

Max

Registered on September 26, 2008, 428 Posts, 2329 Comments

Comment posted by Martin Dunn on June 24, 2013 at 5:23 AM

I've got to hand it to you Morkel, you always manage to make lions look interesting.
Terrific low angle and lovely exposure to capture the subtle colours just before sunrise.

Registered on February 20, 2013, 198 Posts, 1011 Comments

Comment posted by Roel Wijtmans on June 24, 2013 at 11:09 AM

This is a really amazing photo! A photo of a beautiful animal, but at the same time very moody, that's pretty rare. Well done!

Registered on September 30, 2012, 116 Posts, 2257 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on June 24, 2013 at 12:10 PM

Cool shot Morkel and wonderfully processed. A pity about the elephant dung setting though.

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on June 24, 2013 at 1:48 PM

Thanks for your kind comments, folks.
Vincent, it doesn't bother me as it's typical Etosha waterhole terrain, at least it's not man-made

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

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on June 24, 2013 at 2:13 PM

Good work, Morkel. I most like the subtle pastel hues of the sky, setting off this pose nicely!

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

Comment posted by Joe James on June 24, 2013 at 9:53 PM

This is gorgeous Morkel!

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

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on June 25, 2013 at 6:22 AM

Excellent - soft, pink dawn light, very nice detail, and sweet profile.
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on June 25, 2013 at 8:25 AM

Great mood n beautiful frame!
I'm amused at your response to Vincent's comment.
Jagdeep Rajput

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

Comment posted by Carol Nichols on June 25, 2013 at 4:18 PM

An absolutely stunning photo Morkel. The colors in the sky, the pose of the lion and perfect DOF really make this one a winner.

Registered on November 7, 2007, 161 Posts, 1420 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on June 25, 2013 at 6:49 PM

Just excellent, Morkel. What a great looking beast. The light is perfect.

Registered on October 18, 2006, 644 Posts, 4801 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on June 27, 2013 at 5:24 PM

You are all very generous. Thanks for the great feedback...

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

Comment posted by James Blue on June 29, 2013 at 11:30 AM

Morkle, I like this very much. You did a deft job in your processing, the separation of the foreground and that silky pastel sky is smooth as can be. I'm particularly envious of the ultra low angle ...a position that's rarely an option in the African venues I frequent.

All the best,

Jim

Registered on June 16, 2013, 16 Posts, 144 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on July 5, 2013 at 5:49 PM

Beautifully done Morkel. Nice blend of images. The low angle from that hide is perfect.

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments