EYE CONTACT from a YOUNG ANIMAL

[Morkel Erasmus]

I thought I'd post my last photo for the February theme and also merge it with my first photo for the March theme! :bg3:

From our December visit to the Kgalagadi...we spent all day with this lioness and her "creche" (two sets of cubs she was watching, of which the older set was suckling on her).

Techs:
Nikon D810
Nikkor 400mm f2.8 VR
f2.8 | 1/1000 SS | ISO-200
(yes the shallow DOF was intentional, looking to maximise bokeh of this sweet lens)

About 70-80% of the original frame, cropped out some camelthorn acacia branches that were hanging down in top right corner

[Marc Mol]

Love the framing & comp here Morkel, putting that big glass through it's paces has really paid off here, love it as is. Sharp where it needs to be. :w3
The paw close to the chin makes for a sweet moment.

TFS

[Gabriela Plesea]

One of those images I'd like to print and frame...I like it so much. Morkel, you have captured something really special here, and yes I believe the techs are spot-on but it is the reflective pose from the little cub that trully makes this image for me!
Beautifully framed and presented, this photograph has the power to stir emotion and its simplicity is so appealing - what a pleasure to view, thank you for sharing:cheers:

Warmest regards,

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Morkel - huge cuteness factor here. Love the pose and eye contact. For me, there is a heavy red cast to the image that I would reduce. Comp works as is but another alternative is to go with 16x9 cropping from the bottom. Amazing how big the cub's paw is already.

TFS,
Rachel

[Morkel Erasmus]

Thanks folks!
Rachel - these are accurate Kalahari colours, Gabriela will vouch for it :e3
That crop sounds like a plan...

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Morkel - I understand that the Kalahari sands are red but the cub's chin has a lot of red in it too. This is where I was going with the image, it still has the red hues but to me at least the color of the lions looks more natural. I do, of course, recognize that you were there and I was not.

Rachel

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hmmm...very interesting...somehow I knew this was coming:bg3: meaning, the colour issue:) I did not let it bother me, knowing I have a few similar ones, with this pinkish tinge all over. I have to find them, will look through my folders. Cannot really explain the phenomenon, it's not the dunes as such, nor the red sands...more like the sun either coming up or setting behind the dunes, meanwhile the subjects are way down in the river bed, and at times - for a few minutes or longer - the light is so warm and gentle and so beautiful, kind of unreal. And pink, just like in Morkel's image.

Let me look at my recent lion images taken at Kij Kij...Morkel, just curious -what time of the day was this taken, can you check? Was this taken at Kij Kij or Mata Mata?

This is exciting, hope you have more...maybe a sequence too?

Chat soon, hope you have a great evening,

[haseeb badar]

Hi Morkel ! Such an Adorable image ! liked the colors in the original one, and also the textured body of the lioness makes this image look wonderful.

[dankearl]

Awwwww...
What a nice look at this little guy and the Mom makes a fine foreground....

[Morkel Erasmus]

Thanks again folks.
Rachel - I could live with your repost, but will stick with my OP for now - thanks for the effort!
Gabriela - 13th borehole (we were staying at Urikaruus), and this was around 3pm as a storm was brewing, so overcast moody light with that typical pink/red hue.

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Beautiful image Morkel. Love the comp, the eye contact and the sharpness & detail.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Morkel love this frame , very nice and sweet moment you have captured.Like the overall tone and details with good sharpness. I fully agree with you on the colors , i have seen this myself in KTP therefore Rachel´s RP does look flat and lifeless compare to OP . I have slides from same location where this color "issues" are even more obvious depending on the film used . The "worst "colors were produced when Kodak Ektachchrome 100 VS was used . All the reds/pinks /magentas were pushed with this film . I have seen SA photographers using warming filters in this situations ending up with very warm images , so all a matter of taste from different people :w3.

My RP is pushing things a bit more with a LAB maneuver for color/contrast on low opacity plus a crop i would suggest ............. WDYT Morkel and well all the others ?

Cheers and TFS , Andreas

[christopher galeski]

very nice,love the look on the cubs face,sharp with nice detail,nice pose,excuse the pun:S3:.TFS.

[Dumay de Boulle]

I love the pose and eyes her Morkel. The colours are very pink/red but colours as you say are subjective and that this is the true Kalahari colour. I can't comment as I have never been there.
Nice one Morkel

[BenBotha]

Lovely image. I like the first post, I had the same "issues" with the pink in some of my photos. TFS
Ben