This was shot on a small remote Kopje in the Serengeti. Envision a thirty acre slab of granite, rising from the plains like a rock island - closely surrounded by a half dozen other similar islands - forming an archipelago, separated by fiords of green grass. On top of this rock base is more rock….giant and bizarrely shaped boulders - strewn, stacked, and balanced. The rockscapes are photo worthy on their own - but the scenes are improved when you can incorporate a few veggies, and a male lion patrolling his domain in morning light….
If this looks and sounds like the dramatic fake rock habitats found in zoos around the world…..it should, because the Kopjes are what they’re trying to copy.
Techs:
1DX ~ EF500mm IS f/4
f/5.6 ~ 1/2500 ~ ISO 320
Full Frame
Note: I could do without the Agave above his butt, but it could have been worse - most were flowering, which would have made this a bloomin Red-tailed lion.
Thanks for looking, comments welcome.
Jim
Comments
6 commentsWould love to see this type of pose one day, just to be very picky I think it would have been nicer if you had the Lion fully in the open, but I know all to well how animals love to tease with their poses
Nice capture here. I like the terrain here - no wonder zoos attempt to replicate it. I have no problem with the vegetation in the shot - for me it adds a nice bit of colour (I suppose in a perfect world a little more space between it and the lion's butt might not hurt, but not a big deal for me). The slightly darker rock that's "cradling" the lion (and that works its way up the right side of the frame) works well in making the lion "pop" very nicely. Is that natural or a result of thoughtful post-processing? Either way...it really adds to my appreciation of the shot. I wouldn't be surprised if someone comments on the lion's head being positioned a little too dead-centred (and I hope in saying this I don't cause the comment), but I find the composition works just fine here and quite like the positioning of the lion. Nicely done!
Cheers...
Brad
Brad, I am guilty of counting down the few remaining days before I'm back on East African soil...so I do have big cat on the brain. I'll try and think of other species...but right now I'm at a loss.
Jim
And, just as a possible suggestion for the greenery growing out of his rear, perhaps a little desaturation would help remove its prominence somewhat. Probably would involve sliding down both green & yellow. And since there's probably lots of yellow in the lion and rocks, I would add a black mask to the entire image, then just erase the mask over the greenery. Worth a try.