Hyena Stand off - Hyena's 0 - Lioness 1

[Stu Bowie]

Following up on my two recent posts of the Hyena's, they decided that they wanted the kill, but the lioness wasnt going to give up on her meal without a fight. She charged these hyena's a couple of times, and then decided that she was being outnumbered and then casually joined the rest of her family, to leave her kill to all the scavengers.

Canon 50D
100-400 @ 130mm
1/1250
F/7.1
ISO 640

Exp Comp +0.33
Hand held from an open vehicle

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Stuart, might suggest going for a 'pano' crop on this one, loosing some of the FG I don't think wouldn't hurt, & perhaps another round of some selective sharpening. Visually it might then need a little CW rotation???

Judging on the Hyenas expression it is clear on what is happening. :bg3:

TFS
Steve

[Morkel Erasmus]

I echo Steve's suggestions, though I'm fine with the leveling as I think the bushes which seem to form a "horizon line" actually run diagonally into the scene as it were.
Again Stu - a bit too "warm" for me :w3, slight application of cooling filter?

[Pieter de Waal]

Hi Stuart , I like the idea of the pano crop, focuses the attention on the action. Love the varied expressions of the Heyenas. How wonderful to witness and photograph all of this.

[Stu Bowie]

Thanks a stack for your generous feedback guys. Here is my repost using Steve's crop, and Mork's cooling. Any better?

Pieter, thanks to you too.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Nice repost Stu...there's some life in the sky now too :tinysmile_shy_t:. Perhaps still needs slight sharpening of the mid-section where the animals are?
What a sighting - why would she have been guarding the kill if the rest of her pride was not interested in doing so?

[Stu Bowie]

why would she have been guarding the kill if the rest of her pride was not interested in doing so?

Thanks Mork. I didnt look at the sharpening. We were at this kill the day before, and there were 4 cubs that had been feasting, so I think she wanted to keep the Eland as long as she could. We didnt see the rest of the family this day, but having seen them the previous day, they were around somewhere.

[Rachel Hollander]

Stuart - great action and I like the pano crop and repost. Fantastic series. I hope you have and post some of the cubs from the day before :S3:.

TFS,
Rachel

[dankearl]

I really like the repost, I am amazed at the 130mm focal length.
I have to go to Africa!

[Harshad Barve]

Re post is winner for me all the way , Big congrats
TFS

[RakeshDhareshwar]

Dont know how I missed this , Stuart !! This is a mind boggling image !!! I'd rather do such outstanding action images than technically brilliant images !!! Wish this was mine :S3:

[Stu Bowie]

Thank you all for the feedback and comments. Much appreciated.