Kalahari Lion drinking

[Mark Wiseman]

Please advize as whether I can improve on this image. It was taken in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The early morning side lighting was tricky when processing the shadows and highlights.
Technical setting are as follows:
Canon EOS 1Ds Mk III, EF 500mm f4 LUIS lens
Shot at f4, 1/320, ISO 400 and the image was taken at 6h26(GMT+2)
Any help is gratefully appreciated as this is my first post on BPN.

[Harshad Barve]

Big Welcome to BPN Mark ,
and Boy o boy , this is simply outstanding image , great pose , colors and light here , Exceptional ,
TFS

[Brendan Dozier]

Awesome pose you captured, Mark, and beautiful golden light! Love the eye contact, fine detail and vertical frame was good choice. Very minor, but wish there was not as much of OOF FG showing in frame, and you may not have been able to avoid it. Still very nicely done!

[Ofer Levy]

Fantastic image! Love the golden light, pose, eye contact and composition.

[Jason Kinsey]

Love this angle!! It is amazing what can happen when you try different perspectives of your subjects!!

[Morkel Erasmus]

First off a big welcome here Mark! :5
I hope you will find our community both helpful, inspiring and fun. Lots to learn here, and I think all here will benefit from your images, and I think you in turn will just continue to grow in your processing from the massive steps you have taken recently.

This is a fine first post, lovely male in great light with a super perspective...:cheers:
I too wish the OOF FG rocks were just a little lower, but understand where this was taken and it's not always possible.

As an alternative, here is a version where I added some 'local contrast enhancement' (as I felt it was just a wee bit flat) and I also dodged and burned some to get a more moody feel. This may be what you tried to avoid (your comment re shadows/highlights pertains) but still, would love to know what you think?

[Ofer Levy]

I am not sure the added contrast improves this image. I actually prefer the OP.

[Harshad Barve]

I am not sure the added contrast improves this image. I actually prefer the OP.

Same thoughts here

[Morkel Erasmus]

I am not sure the added contrast improves this image. I actually prefer the OP.


Same thoughts here

Which you are of course entitled to do, guys :bg3:.

I prefer the repost, probably because I like my contrast a bit more than the next guy...Which is what makes these forums interesting :w3...all the various flavours, tastes, preferences and experience of photographers around the world thrown together to hopefully cause us to grow, learn and have fun...
:c3:

Again, this is an option for Mark...and he may also not like it...which I would be fine with...:e3

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Great first post. Love the looks and the pose. Look forward to more.

Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Brendon Cremer]

Lovely image Mark very well captured, i like both but feel that perfection lies somewhere between the 2:w3

[Jay Gould]

Agree with Brendon, a little more than the OP and a little less than the RP.

Otherwise, what a great image!!

[Rachel Hollander]

Mark - Welcome. Very nice first post with great eye contact and detail. I like what Morkel has done but agree that somewhere in between the two may be best.

TFS,
Rachel

[Mark Wiseman]

Thank you for all your comments, they are all gratefully appreciated. I toned down the darkened aspect of the split sharpening method I used to sharpen this image and that probably accounts for the difference in the contrast between the image that I posted and that of Morkel's, as it will by nature affect the contrast. I still prefer the original image though. I forgot to darken the OOF so that it's affect would be less evident to the eye and the upper third of the image so that the eye focuses more on that of the lion's eye and face. Unfortunately I could not remove the OOF as due to the position of the water crib, one cannot position the camera any higher. My main aim in the majority of my wildlife images is to take the image so that the viewer feels as thogh they are part of the image, so low down is best for me in the majority of cases. Your help is very much appreciated, with many thanks, Mark.
:bg3::5

[Pieter de Waal]

Hi Mark, great first image and love the early morning feel you have captured. Also prefer the OP and might consider lessening impact of the OOF rocks buy cropping a sliver off the bottom. Awesome eye contact.

[Brendon Cremer]

Just a few subtle changes in curves and a conversion to Srgb, it think make the image pop nicely, what do you think?

100523

[Tom Graham]

I downloaded all three so can flip between.
Prefer Brendons. But the difference between it and OP, as I see it, is teeny weeny tiny.
Try it.
Tom

[Marina Scarr]

Super image and I have to go with Brendon's version after looking at all 3 several times. It just has a little more pop.

[Dumay de Boulle]

Welcome and what a cracker to get started with...I prefer the OP on all accounts...Very nice!

[Russell Johnson]

Great capture.....the mane even looks a little windswept

Welcome!