Golden Mane

Gallery: WildlifePosted September 25, 2011147 views11 comments

Canon EOS 7D, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM @ 150mm, Shutter Priority @ f/8 (1/1000 sec), -2/3 EV, ISO 400, Handheld, JPEG from RAW, Cropped 30% from Full Frame

A male Lion in all his splendour soaking up the last rays of light from a setting sun.

This Lion is part of the breeding programme at the Big Cat Reserve, Limpopo, South Africa.

There's a chance that some might feel the colours in this image are over-saturated giving everything a less than natural feel, however, this is pretty much exactly how it appeared at the time of shooting, which was after all during the period often referred to as the Golden Hour.

Having said that though, critique and comments always welcome :^)

Comments

11 comments

Comment posted by Fabio Giarrizzo on September 25, 2011 at 6:44 AM

A wonderful portrait indeed- Awesome expression, great warm light and excellent composition- A bit sorry for the OOF stem on foreground, but that's really a very minor flaw on this beautiful image- My best congrats, Fabio

Registered on December 3, 2010, 90 Posts, 1614 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Teller on September 25, 2011 at 8:49 AM

Sweet light and the look on the face of the lion is very regal. Fine image.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Walters on September 25, 2011 at 12:14 PM

Great color and love the alert pose. Like how you have a clear view of the face.

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

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on September 25, 2011 at 8:53 PM

Tack sharp sharp Ashley, the monochromatic look works very well.
Nice clear view of the face, the setting/comp works fine for me.
Well done!!

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on September 25, 2011 at 9:02 PM

Ashley, I think the warm colors are a plus here. I like the combination of relaxed/alert from the cat. The OOF twig in front of the lion does catch my eye.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by Brad Hill on September 26, 2011 at 12:58 AM

Hi Ashley,

This would rate as one of the strongest images I've seen of a captive lion (and one wouldn't have guessed it was captive without your comment about it being part of a breeding program). Sharpness is very good, I like the monochromatic look (which draws attention to the camouflage nature of the lion's coloration), and you've done a good job of keeping the out-of-focus branches (mostly on the left side of the frame) from being too distracting. Well done.

Cheers...

Brad

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

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on September 26, 2011 at 10:24 AM

Many thanks for your kind words and comments Fabio, Richard, Dan, Howard, Ron, and Brad :^)

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

Comment posted by Jeffry Oonk on September 27, 2011 at 3:58 AM

That's a great shot of a very impressive looking lion.
Looks like he just had a hairdo: beautiful manes.

This image shows how well lions disappear into their environment.

Love the warm light and the sharpness of the frame.

Thx for sharing
Jef

Registered on February 5, 2011, 21 Posts, 122 Comments

Comment posted by Ajit Huilgol on September 27, 2011 at 7:08 AM

Congrats on capturing the 'colours of Africa' ! The surrounds, though, are a bit busy, and draw the eye away from the handsome hunk.

Registered on December 19, 2008, 302 Posts, 2055 Comments

Comment posted by Andrea Marzorati on September 27, 2011 at 8:05 AM

A beautiful lion and an excellent image Ashley

Registered on December 1, 2005, 86 Posts, 589 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on September 28, 2011 at 9:36 AM

Thanks for adding your appreciative thoughts and comments Jef, Ajit, and Andrea :^)

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