That Lion Look

This young boy was part of a pride of nine stalking a large herd of buffalo. The pride suddenly called off the hunt and instead settled in for naps and nuzzling. I was surprised that the lions pretty much ignored our little group. But this time, just before he collapsed into slumber, this one flashed me "the look". Got my attention.

Attachment 146706


Taken in Mala Mala, South Africa. In woodlands with dappled light and shadows.

Canon 6D
Zeiss 80-200mm @150 (thereabouts)
1/2000 f/5.6 ISO 800
HH and MF
Minimal prep in LR for highlights/shadows, whites/blacks
Slight lumo mask and smart sharpening in PS CC
Cropped to 70% of frame

I played around with the crop and settled on a tighter shot since I didn't get the paws. There's more on RHS and and a little on top that could be revealed. I dunno.

C&C cheerfully accepted. :)

Hi Ed - This looks better processed with nice sharpness and detail. I do think it is still a little red, especially since you said it was just before they settled down for a nap which usually occurs as the sun gets stronger. So for me this feels a bit too warm for the conditions you describe but I wasn't there. How do you set WB when processing? If it were mine, I would reduce the reds and maybe even the yellows a little. I would also open up the midtones very slightly perhaps moving the middle slider to 1.10 on a levels adjustment layer. Finally, there are a couple of hotter spots in the grasses so I would burn them slightly. It is amazing how acclimated the animals are to the vehicles so they don't see a threat.

TFS,
Rachel

Hey Rachel, thanks!

There was one step I forgot to document which I thought would add some color/depth/warmth. Maybe that introduced the reds. Here's a RP without it.

The WB was "as shot" (temp 4350). And you're right about time of day, it was about 1:30pm local time and in winter season so the sun would have been quite strong despite all the trees brush and brambles. I didn't deal with the "hot grass" yet.

Attachment 146711

A gorgeous and detailed portrait! I usually find warm casts too strong, but didn't mind the amount in the original.. The RP is probably a little more documentary, though.

Here's a quick idea -- a quick mask painted over the face, converted to a selection and a Curves created using it as a mask, to lighten the face, and another to darken the leg.

Edward the OP to me has a far better tonal range and conveys more of a warmth/dappled light (irrespective that the light at that time would have been quite harsh, thought you would have been back at the lodge at this time :S3:), the RP's just look flat and have lost a lot of the original capture for me.

TFS
Steve

Hey, Diane. Very nice touch on your RP. You're helping me learn to go easy on the pp for better results. Many thanks.

Thanks, Steve. I felt the same way as you so that's why I cranked up the tones. Maybe a bit too much and/or not the right blend. Come to think of it, I really don't know what time of day it was. My camera wasn't adjusted for the time zone change and I know it wasn't right before I left home. And you're right, by 1:30pm I'd typically be back at the lodge scarfing down my second round at the buffet. :)

Edward, you do have a good platform within the original capture irrespective of what time of day it was shot at, but forget about anything else when you first start to process, you just need to get that WB sorted that is your foundation/cornerstone, where you then take it is down to you in direction of coolness/warm etc, etc. Taking your OP, and just balancing the colours out albeit on an sRGB image with only 256 colour oppose to millions is less than ideal, but still easily achievable. Getting a mid grey point on this image 50.2/50.4/50.8 is close enough I think loosing a lot of the red, the colours of the overall image become cleaner and more reflective, you can then adjust there after what you wish, albeit the shadows are still clipped.

Just take your time and try not to let your perception rule the outcome of what the image finally looks like, it's all a balancing act.

Troughing is important after a hard day out in the field, but I think there is a limit to intake on a 2-3 week trip, LOL.

Great Image...I like the OP and the RP...Great detail on the fur, the DOF is good...I might have been tempted to clone out the small green leaves in the back.

He is definitely giving you "The Look"