The 'Transporter'

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Hi all,
It feels good to be back again on BPN after a short break. I had a good trip to Masai Mara last week and came back with some lovely memories. We had the good fortune to see some lionesses with about 7 cubs. They were barely 1 month old and this one was may be a week or so old. So the mother in order to transport the cub to a safer place picked this one up and walked straight past us. Light was fading as can be seen from the techs and the dilated pupil. None the less, this was a first for me.
1DX II
500 II
1/800
f/4
ISO 6400

[Gabriela Plesea]

Welcome back Sanjeev:wave:

We've missed you around here, glad you are back and posting. And what fantastic sighting, I have yet to photograph a lioness mom with such a tiny cub! Image design is great, love the way subjects enter the frame and the space on the LHS, POV is very nice too. Add to that the eye contact...

Looking at your techs I think you have done well given the lighting conditions, do not know your gear and how far one can push things but I too would try stop around 6400 ISO if I can help it. Frame looks good when viewed in PSCC although I found the lioness's face a tad dark, others might disagree. My personal feeling is, it would be good to lighten her face up a bit, and especially the eyes.

Colours look good Sanjeev, but maybe a tad too much orange on mom's back, a little distracting. Love those tiny paws of the cub and determined look on mom's face - priceless! Cannot wait to see more from this trip and if you have more images from this encounter I would be very happy to see them - many thanks for sharing!

PS1 I attach a quick RP to demonstrate what I meant about the face and eyes of lioness.

PS2 Love the title:w3

Kind regards,

[Alex Becker]

Very cool seen captured Sanjeev. Looks like low light given the techs and the huge pupils, which I love. The little cub is great. I like Gabriela's RP, although may be tempted to go just a bit darker on the pupils. IQ looks pretty good. The flies in the BG are a great touch. TFS, looking forward to more.

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Thanks Gabriela and Alex. Gabriela, I was a bit hesitant to lighten the eye and face as I thought it might introduce more noise. I agree reg the orange tint and glad you fixed it. Yes, I was pleased to have witnessed it.

[John Mack]

A great moment you have captured here. Love the little one in the moms mouth. All those flies and the blood on her nose are another bonus. The direct eye contact is spot on. This would have made a nice vertical. Image quality looks great for the high ISO.

[haseeb badar]

Hi Doc -- Great to have you back here, and what an image to start with. I really liked the framing and the eye contact as well. I might have gone for a vertical framing to include those legs but this is also working for me. Nice use of iso but to be on a safer side atleast 8k would have been better. I feel this image is a bit dark for my taste . Gabriela's RP is in the right direction. The flies are definitely adding to the scene.

A great image to start with , something I would love to see and capture in the wild.

TFS !

[Stuart Philpott]

Hello Sanjeev erm WOW what a stunning image to see and capture, it's enchanting, so much power so deftly used. i'm behaviour aware but such a joy to behold,tis a thing of beauty !!

Sanjeev I think my eyes see red differently to others,i'm incredibly sensitive to red ,sooooooo I can't pin point accurately whether the cut is jumping at me because of that. On every level I want it kept ..............the brutality of it sits so well against the most tender moment caught. I think it's worth mentioning though


Sanjeev Gabrieala's comment raises a curiosity for me ....where is your ceiling for ISO that you would really not rather go beyond? Sanjeev this image really interests me because the light seems so similar to my grey uk days lovely to make an image under if it's bright enough:w3. I don't think within all the images of Africa I've ever quite felt like that before,the techs seem somewhat familiar to say the least .

My friend I'll leave the techs to the others, for me you have caught so much of a lion's soul,I can't find the words, to frame it, :5

stu

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Thanks a lot everyone for your comments. Stu, indeed it is a shot I will cherish. The wound portrays the harshness of life in the bush, the care the mom takes in transporting the cub portrays so much tenderness and those eyes showcase the will of the lioness. Gabriela, thanks for the RP and your kind words, agree on lightening up the lions face.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Hi Sanjeev, a fine capture indeed, I like as presented but I think Gabriela's repost improves, I 'm looking forward to seeing more.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Sanjeev, a shot I have never got so kudos in achieving this.

Why Landscape, not portrait where you still have the moment, but hopefully all of Mum? I'llleave it with Gabriela and the others on colour. If you had the 5Div with the 100-400 that might have been a better choice, as you could have cropped because you had pulled out and f/5.6 this may have helped too, I just feel f/4 may have been too shallow. Well done in achieving what you did.

TFS
Steve

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Hi all, here is an RP.

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello Sanjeev,

Thank you, for me the OP was fine in terms of colour, I only suggested you lightened up the face a bit:tinysmile_shy_t:

[Jonathan Ashton]

Sanjeev, I look at all three versions and say to myself "all similar but different", which is best - I haven't a clue, I like them all. They all look credible to me.