Yummy ....

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi folks ..... one of the moderators asked for another lion cub image , as it was Gabriela i followed her wish :w3.
For sure it is for all .... and your thoughts .

Image taken about 1 hour later than the previous one . For sure i would have wished better conditions , the second cub not inn the frame and a bit more space all around .... but the image is as is !!!!

Canon EOS 1Dx
EF 200 - 400 IS L at 200 mm
HH

F 6,3 ; Iso 10.000 ; 1/1600 sec ; man exp and Auto Iso

Processed with DPP 4 and PSCC 2019 , full frame

Thanks for looking and commenting to my previous posting

Cheers Andreas

[Gabriela Plesea]

Awww, it's so precious, Boetie. Too special:tinysmile_shy_t: Just how many times one gets to see this in one's lifetime?
I only saw this once, even though I live in Africa and have so many opportunities. It must have been 2008 or 2009, same lighting conditions. In fact it was worse, it was raining. My first trip to the Kalahari and I had no clue what I was doing with the camera, took all the shots at 400 ISO and F5.6:eek3: Sadly I had to delete almost everything when I got home.

Glad you shared this, I thank you from the heart. It's like a present for me, since I love the species so much. Last Sunday Carl and I spent the whole morning with a lioness, we know she has cubs but not sure where she hides them, she seems to move them every night. I was hoping for a scene like this but it did not happen-they are too small and she keeps them away from humans. Maybe next time:)

In terms of the image itself, I think it reflects the conditions at the time and with your excellent PP skills you brought out as much detail as was possible. Expression and pose from the cub is priceless. Don't think it needs more space all around but it would have been awesome if the other cub was not in the frame. I still love it:S3:

Many thanks once again, I am delighted to see this post and took great pleasure viewing!

Hope you have a wonderful week-end Andreas,

[Steve Kaluski]

A tender moment for sure Andreas and nice techs. Not much you could have done with the second cub, but perhaps shot more frames until it finally left the frame and so you just had the one. The two brighter blades of grass could go, your call. Personally I might go a bit warmer, but certainly less on the Black/Contrast, but personal tastes.

TFS
Steve

[Jonathan Ashton]

A really appealing shot, I was looking at the first one and wondering what was bugging me and I think Steve has put his finger on the button, i.e. it looks a little cold. Other than that I like it, I also like the repost, in terms of contrast I suppose it is personal preference, I really don't know if I have a favourite.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thanks Gabriela ; Steve and Jon for your comments , as always much appreciated .

Gabriela i knew i could catch you and your emotions with a shot like this :t3 ....i think this will not be often seen by all of us . I felt lucky when i saw this , hence the conditions . Anette and i had the first row ....:w3.... and were blocked by other vehicles , so no moving for or backward .

Steve - thanks for the RP , understand your point in terms of color / contrast .... put your edits on one layer and lower opacity to say 40/50 % then i think it work for me . Your version is too warm for my taste and the blacks / dark tones too thin ...as you say matter of taste . As all details are shown in the OP i do not see the need of going flatter in those areas . Regarding your suggestion to wait for the other cub to disappear and then shoot ... well i have to smile about your thought ... i would have for sure done that and presented that frame .
Sadly in real life .... those animals do not listen and they did their own business . This was the only frame where at least one eye was open , the tongue out sucking on that nipple , the second one almost out of the frame .....the best shot i have . I have something like 25 frames .... and none of the others is as good as this one in terms of the main actor .

Jon - color tone a matter of taste as you say . I think half way between the two might work good for me .

Thanks again folks ... cheers Andreas

[haseeb badar]

Hi ANdreas -- The content is super awesome, and the framing is fine but for that second cub. Like your previous lion cub posting I again find it a bit dark , may be something between your OP and Steve's RP. But again techs are good and details as well inspite of high iso. Nice moment .

TFS !

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Haseeb .... thanks for your reply !!!

Appreciate your thoughts about tonality .... to explain my thinking , this was taken in shadow so my thinking is it should be darker than in sunlight . As a comparison with one of your recent shots .... look how dark your sunlit cheetah scape is in OP , why do you process it so dark ? I am asking just for the sake of interest ....

Cheers Andreas

[haseeb badar]

Hi Andreas -- I tried to go for more separation or rather tried to highlight the Cheetahs more and hence kept things on darker side to keep the Cheeath's more distinct.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Ok , thanks Haseeb for shedding some light :w3

[John Mack]

Pretty neat frame of this lion cub. I take it is nursing. The details look nice. Like how the cub is framed by the mom.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thanks John for your comment :bg3: