Lion on the track

Yep, another Lion… Next post something that is less of a tourist attraction, I promise.

Normally I would not have been very pleased with a lion that is walking on a man-made track as I would rather photograph it in an all natural environment. However, in this case it did provide me with an opportunity to get the lion silhouetted from top to toe, which in the high grass of the pan would have been impossible to achieve. On top of that the track also serves as a compositional leading line.

This image was recently sold as a cover for a magazine; I reckon the empty space on top made it a good candidate for that purpose.

Lesson learnt: tracks and roads are in most cases elements we all generally try to avoid, but these can also help to ‘make’ an image and the trick is to see the opportunities for doing so rather than being frustrated that your subject walks on the track!

Central Kalahari GR, Botswana.
Camera Model Canon EOS 1D Mark IV
Shutter Speed 1/4000 Sec.
Aperture Value f/6.3
EV -0.33
ISO Speed 400
Lens EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
Crop. is app 90% of original