Happy New Year! w/lions

Gallery: WildlifePosted December 31, 2013393 views16 comments

Seasons Greetings,

Here’s wishing all the NPN members a healthy and prosperous New Year, and of course, many special moments with wildlife ...in golden light

I’m traveling in Spain now, so the only image I had handy was this one I’ve been using on my computer desktop. This beautiful lioness and her three cubs were atop a large Kopje (rock outcropping) in a remote part of the Serengeti. They really seamed to be enjoying the beautiful sunset that had materialized after a stormy afternoon….and with the great migration flowing by for as far as the eye could see - it truly was a surreal moment in nature.

Best to all!

Jim

Techs:

1DX ~ EF500mm IS
f/11 ~ 1/500 ~ ISO 400
Full Frame

Comments

16 comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on December 31, 2013 at 4:06 PM

An awesome family portrait James

The light and those storm clouds are great. I really like the attentive expression of the lions facing toward you too.

Happy New Year!

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Olsen on December 31, 2013 at 4:09 PM

Cool shot Jim!! Family portrait!!

Registered on October 19, 2006, 306 Posts, 1571 Comments

Comment posted by Max Waugh on December 31, 2013 at 4:11 PM

Wonderful, Jim. I've dreamed of a shot like this before: front-lit lions with a dark, ominous background. You nailed it. Great family portrait.

Max

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

Comment posted by James Blue on December 31, 2013 at 9:03 PM

Ken, Richard, Max,
Thank you for the kind comments. Things did line up for this shot - and I'm very grateful for the opportunity.

to 2014
Jim

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

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on January 1, 2014 at 12:48 AM

This is an amazing photo Jim, just love everything about it; what a sky, what a nice family pose and the texture and colour on that massive rock, well it rocks! Nothing left to say, except "feliz ano nuevo" (which means Happy New Year in Spanish, either that or "the cat is sitting on my socks"???)

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

Comment posted by Sandipan Dutta on January 1, 2014 at 1:36 AM

Fabulous setting here. This image really rocks !

Registered on March 9, 2009, 171 Posts, 493 Comments

Comment posted by Martin Dunn on January 1, 2014 at 5:05 AM

beautiful capture James. The light is terrific and the dark clouds really make the image.
maybe crop a wee bit from the bottom so that the lions are not dead centre.

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

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on January 2, 2014 at 12:42 PM

I don't know how you managed to get them to all cooperate in posing for an almost studio perfection!

Excellent as posted, although you might experiment with a bit of crop to make the dark corners of the sky less prominent/heavy.

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

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on January 2, 2014 at 3:25 PM

Really love this, Jim! Super setting, light, drama and cooperative subjects.
All the best for you and yours in 2014!

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

Comment posted by James Blue on January 3, 2014 at 5:19 AM

Gary, thanks for the kind comment. Hope our paths cross more often 2014.

Sandipan, Martin, Lon, Morkel, many thanks for looking and commenting. I'll play with a few diff crops and maybe tone down the sky drama as per suggestions. Actually, I thought I had made the most out of the opp with mom and two cubs - then the third cub (on the right) popped up and added to the family scene....Hello kitty.

Jim

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

Comment posted by Mario Moreno on January 3, 2014 at 11:49 AM

This is a stunning shot James !! really like the pose with good eye contact and the BG is awesome. Maybe the slight crop of the bottom does help ….. would have to see

Registered on January 24, 2012, 163 Posts, 369 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on January 3, 2014 at 1:12 PM

Great setting n terrific frame!
Agree about crop suggestions!
Jagdeep Rajput

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

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on January 4, 2014 at 9:20 PM

A stunning shot and composition. The larger image was a pleasure to view, well done.

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

Comment posted by Karen Kane on January 5, 2014 at 10:03 PM

Amazing shot James! I agree with those who suggest cropping a bit of the rock, because the lions and sky are the stars here.

Registered on August 4, 2012, 66 Posts, 726 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on January 9, 2014 at 6:26 AM

James,
As good as it gets

Registered on December 15, 2010, 1537 Posts, 4877 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on January 16, 2014 at 6:46 AM

Beautiful animals, incredible sky, and interesting rocks.
Congrats on the WP!
Sandy

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