Finishing off breakfast

[Steve Kaluski]

Another from the series of images taken of these two brothers feeding on the previous nights kill of a buffalo, always wanted better light on this occasion. I think the eye contact is there? :bg3:

Reprocessed since a few of you have seen a print, was never happy with that, LOL.

Thanks to those who viewed or posted a comment on the previous thread.

Steve

Subject: Male lions (Panthera leo) feeding on buffalo kill, early morning
Location: UK
Camera: Canon 1DX
Lens: 200-400f/4 Gitzo tripod/Uniqball head
Exposure: 1/500s at f/5.6 ISO3200
Original format: Portrait, slight crop
Processed: LR6 2015 & PSCC 2015

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Steve - yes, great eye contact and yes, we always wanted better light for this sighting but it just wasn't to be. The blood covered face tells a story and I like the tip of the tongue peeking out. The lion's right eye (on the left as viewed) doesn't look quite as sharp. Perhaps another round selectively? Excellent detail as always. Any more on the lhs? Just feel a sliver more would be better.

TFS,
Rachel

[haseeb badar]

Hi Steve -- super details and i liked this comp ! colors have come out brilliantly ! Eyes have come out very sharp ! the upper portion of the nose appears to me slightly blurry , not that sharp compared to the eyes ! TFS

[Gregor Bergquist]

Hi Steve

I really like this. Definitely great eye contact, what is he thinking.. :) Agree with Haseeb, great colors.

[Andre Pretorius]

Hi Steve

Very powerful image.
The eye contact makes this work.
The brother on the right (as viewed) is still indulging- the photographer was less important than the meal:w3

Me too would like a sliver on LHS.

The strawberry (tongue) adds.

Angle is effective.

Some noise in BG from 3200, maybe NR on BG?

On location..I did not know there where kills in the UK..scary:bg3:

[Gabriela Plesea]

Dear Steve,

I have been lurking in the other Forums for a while and just noticed this recent post from you so a lovely surprise tonight, aside from that lovely owl you have just posted in Avian:bg3:

Superb eye contact and wonderful detail, that strawberry (err...tongue) sticking out is a magic touch. I pressed cmd/+ a few times until I got pretty close to the lion's pupils, thought I saw your reflection there:t3

Love everything about this, a very dramatic yet not a gory frame, great eye contact with the subject and I like the caked blood there on the ears and in places on the mane... me thinking the lion has sunk its head into the fresh kill and looked up for a moment - nice timing!

Superb processing and presentation, tack sharp, this is my favourite from your recent SA trip and I get the feeling you enjoyed being so close to the lions. I am loving this frame, it makes me miss my KTP lions tremendously and brings back memories of a very special trip, I so enjoyed viewing, thank you Steve:5

Warmest regards,

[Morkel Erasmus]

Hi Steve. Effective presentation here avoiding much of the gore.
Nicely framed, but have to ask:
Were you zoomed out to 200? Could you have backed out 5% more than this?

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Steve, Good eye contact, and I like the detail on the lions face, scars and all. I do like the close up of the feeding behaviour as presented, but wonder if a version showing a bit more of their meal would work. Im also thinking that maybe this was already FF.

[Dumay de Boulle]

Perfect colour and detail. The eye contact is tops.
I feel that their should be less space above and more below to get more of the other Lions face and carcass. I just feel it would give a little more balance to the image.

[Raymond Barlow]

Hi Steve, love this shot., but it makes me hungry!

I like how you moved the prime / left lions head off center, but the eyes run across the center vertically. Maybe move then up a notch?
f5.6 gave your wonderful dof.

To me the light could have been a titch brighter, but the "softbox" effect is sweet. Very fortunate of you to have a tripod and head for such a shot. I don't bring mine to Tanzania, as
we have 3 photogs in a safari truck + plus the driver, so not tons of room. Stuck with bean bags, but they work.

Best wishes!

Raymond

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Steve, the eye contact kills me with this shot.
It is freakishly scary even as a jpeg. Man, what a rocker of a shot.
I see what Mork means about a slightly looser framing.
For what it's worth, blood and gore are part of this kind of environment with the predators, it does not worry me the slightest.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Steve , stunning intense eye contact combined with a nicely processed image .
I am not 100 % with the crop as is , but think you do not have many other options with this but going in tighter .I do find the buff snout and the other lion not ideal , but we have take it as is sometimes :bg3: :5.

So all around a nice piece of work .

Ps : are you having any issues with CC 2015 regarding speed on your machine and does your script for masks still work ? Sadly many of mine doesn´t work :e3.

Tfs Andreas