Concentrated look.

[Mark Wiseman]

This sub adult male lion was in the process of stalking one of it's sibling's at Polentswa waterhole. These 12-14 month old sub adults are always worth watching as they are always very playful until they get given a clip around the ear by one off the adults.
Camera details:
Nikon D3s
Nikkor: 600mm f4 VR
Aperture: f7.1
Shutter speed: 1/1250
ISO: 720
Manual mode:
Image processed by ACR and CS5 on a 15"MBP.
Any comments and critique welcome.

[Rachel Hollander]

Mark - nice walking pose and low pov. To me it feels too warm/yellow but I wasn't there. Did you blur the bg? The drop off in sharpness seems rather sudden in the bg and it has an almost smoky feel to it. I would also apply another round of sharpening to the head.

TFS,
Rachel

[Mark Wiseman]

Hi Rachel,
This is how it was. I did very little processing in ACR and CS5 with no colour changes. The smokiness you refer to, is most likely due to the Kalahari dust as it does not settle easily when in the early morning air. No blurring of the background was done.
Thanks for your help and best wishes,
Mark.

[Tom Graham]

Love the light, always love that early/late light. And the techs look very good. But, but, the lions look down and away detaches me from the image. I want to know more about what he sees, I care less about him.
Tom

[Steve Kaluski]

I can see where Rachel is coming from Mark, as the rear left leg, as viewed has this 'dust' as you say, but the right rear, which is trailing, doesn't?

Quite like the light and colour, but the pose/look away isn't that engaging.

TFS
Steve

[Ken Watkins]

Mark,

I love both the light and pose, I do not necessarily think that a subject needs to be looking at you to be engaging but that's just my taste.

As for the comments on dust I am bewildered, just walking up there throws up lots of dust and this youngster is clearly moving.

[Jamie Douglas]

Sweet light and interesting posture but I would have liked the lion to be walking into the frame from the right instead of the left but hey we can't control that.

Nice DOF

Jamie

[Tom Graham]

"....lion to be walking into the frame from the right instead of the left....."
Could flip image left-right?
Tom

[Morkel Erasmus]

The sweetest of Kgalagadi light here Mark, it really does look this intense in those first few minutes of sunrise...well captured in that sense.
Great IQ on the cub too. I don't care for the lack of eye contact here, at least the eyes are still somewhat visible and the pose is engaging.
:bg3:

[Mark Wiseman]

Hi Morkel, Tom, Jamie, Ken and Steve,
Your comments are gratefully appreciated. Morkel, I agree that this light is the best you can get. The Kalahari has, for me, the best early morning light in the world.
With many thanks,
Mark