Sunset warrior

Gallery: WildlifePosted June 11, 2011225 views12 comments

I shot this image in the Kalahari late one afternoon as this old warrior came down the hill towards the waterhole. He is the same individual with the broken teeth I shot a few months later and the image I posted of the lion shaking his head. The latest images I have seen of this individual is of a very thin and sickly looking cat.

Camera Model Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Shooting Mode Shutter-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/2000
Av( Aperture Value ) 4.5
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation +1/3
ISO Speed 250
Lens EF500mm f/4L IS USM
Focal Length 500.0mm
White Balance Mode Auto
AF Mode AI Servo AF

Comments

12 comments

Comment posted by Wayne Willison on June 11, 2011 at 8:11 PM

Majestic, none the less.

Registered on April 10, 2009, 292 Posts, 3967 Comments

Comment posted by Harshad Barve on June 11, 2011 at 8:12 PM

magnificent specimen and image

Registered on July 25, 2010, 39 Posts, 210 Comments

Comment posted by Billy Fairburn on June 12, 2011 at 3:07 AM

Great look Neal, and I like the way you've caught him mid stride. It looks a tad bright on my monitor and if it were mine I may reduce the exposure of the whole image just a little bit.

Nice shot overall though!

Registered on March 3, 2007, 123 Posts, 717 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on June 12, 2011 at 4:25 AM

The lighting does indeed appear bright, however, I think it works very well in this image, as it lends well to the grittiness of the Lion's demeanor and pose. Another thing I love about this is the incredibly low angle of view you have on the subject, it's almost as though this image was captured by you leaving your camera in the field and triggering it by a remote device, though seeing you were using your 500 this obviously wasn't the case ;^)

Magical shot Neal, you must be very happy with it and rightly so, thanks for sharing :^)

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

Comment posted by Upjeet Singh on June 12, 2011 at 12:16 PM

Those eyes look intimidating, wished for more space around him and the brightness is a tad too much like pointed out already, exposure needs to be reduced. I would also like to see a vertical frame if you have one where he is looking straight at you.

Nonetheless a good shot

Registered on May 8, 2010, 50 Posts, 55 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on June 12, 2011 at 12:58 PM

I love the pose of the lion and the fact he seems to be approaching...however, the light is pretty harsh in the image. I think you can still tone it down quite a bit and make it even better.

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

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on June 12, 2011 at 3:14 PM

Is this the dominant male in the Mata-Mata region Neal? Sad to hear his health is declining if it is...he's had a long reign.
I feel the brightness could be toned down a notch, as this would enhance detail throughout. Magical light and perspective though!

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

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on June 12, 2011 at 7:40 PM

Hi Neal. Having the lion approaching and the slight blur of the front paw gives a definite feeling of motion and excitement to the image. The exposure is pretty good although I might bring down the highlights just a tad. The similarity in color and tone between the lion and surrounding shrubs and earth prevents him from standing out particularly well, but not much you could do about that. Not sure if this is full frame of not, but if you have any more room at the bottom I think the photo would benefit from a bit more space there.

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

Comment posted by Brad Hill on June 13, 2011 at 7:55 AM

Hi Neal,

This is a compelling image. The raised paw is subtle, but adds a lot to the overall success of the image (at least to me). I also quite like the positioning of the lion in the frame. I saw the other's comments on the exposure - while I agree that the image might be slightly stronger with a reduction in exposure, I think it only has to be very minor (in the 1/2 stop range). I'm in agreement with Gary that adding slightly more room on the bottom might make the image even stronger.

Cheers...thanks for sharing this...

Brad

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

Comment posted by Darren Colello on June 13, 2011 at 12:08 PM

Nice intensity Neal, this must have been an incredible experience. Thanks for sharing this beauty.

Registered on July 27, 2009, 175 Posts, 1100 Comments

Comment posted by Neal Cooper on June 14, 2011 at 4:52 AM

Thanks for all your suggestions and crits. I have reduced the exposure slightly and changed the crop to include more detail at the bottom. I also had a look at the suggested vertical crop, but it doesn't really work as well.

Registered on June 3, 2009, 144 Posts, 306 Comments

Comment posted by Billy Fairburn on June 14, 2011 at 12:22 PM

Hi Neal,

The re-post is much better IMO

Billy

Registered on March 3, 2007, 123 Posts, 717 Comments