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Interesting write up Morkel, I had always thought walking in the vicinity of a pride of lions would spell certain death. I guess it usually does but the prides at Mana are somehow more content? Kinda like our grizzly bears. Just because the ones in some areas are accomodating doesn’t mean they all are.
This place is on the bucket list for when I ever get myself down to Africa.
Was this a fresh kill? The little ones look pretty clean or maybe it's because they have good table manas. I crack myself up. Joke! I hate puns.
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Originally Posted by
Jamie Douglas
Interesting write up Morkel, I had always thought walking in the vicinity of a pride of lions would spell certain death. I guess it usually does but the prides at Mana are somehow more content? Kinda like our grizzly bears. Just because the ones in some areas are accomodating doesn’t mean they all are.
They sure are 
..humans have been walking in Mana at will for 50+ years. This pride is very chilled out, even my good friend who led the trip with me and is one of the highest qualified South African field guides with countless hours of walking in Big 5 areas was amazed. He stated outright that the lions in the Greater Kruger where he works would growl at you the moment they saw you. We sat with them on multiple occasions, as close as 30m, and they were amazingly relaxed the whole time, even with the cubs there.
Originally Posted by
Jamie Douglas
This place is on the bucket list for when I ever get myself down to Africa.
I would love to take you there 
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Originally Posted by
Jamie Douglas
Was this a fresh kill? The little ones look pretty clean or maybe it's because they have good table manas. I crack myself up. Joke! I hate puns.
LOL love the pun! I make them all day, we'd have a hoot together 
Kill was made about 4-5 hours prior to taking the photo. The cubs were not there when the kill was made and arrived with us (as stated in the OP description). They were hidden somewhere during the night when the hunt was on, and the females went to fetch them at daybreak.
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Oh and Jamie, the pronounciation of "Mana" is not like "manna"...more like you would call your mom "Ma", then "na" 
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They sure are ..humans have been walking in Mana at will for 50+ years. This pride is very chilled out, even my good friend who led the trip with me and is one of the highest qualified South African field guides with countless hours of walking in Big 5 areas was amazed. He stated outright that the lions in the Greater Kruger where he works would growl at you the moment they saw you. We sat with them on multiple occasions, as close as 30m, and they were amazingly relaxed the whole time, even with the cubs there.
Must have been quite the experience Morkel and your tales and images paint a very magical picture of Ma'na (one of my buddies here is from joburgh so I can hear the pronunciation). Maybe a book one day?
It is the place of photographers dreams by the looks of things with on foot encounters, diversity of wildlife, terrain and sweet light and less people than other parks I imagine? For now at least.
You can count on an email if I ever get the chance to get down your way.
LOL love the pun! I make them all day, we'd have a hoot together
Kill was made about 4-5 hours prior to taking the photo. The cubs were not there when the kill was made and arrived with us (as stated in the OP description). They were hidden somewhere during the night when the hunt was on, and the females went to fetch them at daybreak.
Sorry, didn't pick on the cubs not being present during the kill from your comments so thanks for expanding on that. Surely the pride protecting the kill must be a nerve wracking situation for campers . Rather them than me.
The Lions clearly have it good if they can leave the kill meat to mature before they eat it. I gather they don't encourage bbqing by your tent. Rump Mr Lion?
Have a good weekend.
Jamie
Last edited by Jamie Douglas; 08-15-2013 at 10:37 PM.
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Thanks Jamie. Nobody leaves Mana untouched by its magic. It's a bit of a "mission" to get there though, so hopefully this keeps the masses at bay.
We BBQ meat all the time in the campsites. The hyenas are more bothersome than lions in the campsites. Might just carry off your little kids...
Oh and the elephants stroll through the campsites each day, sometimes withing 1 or 2m of where you are sitting vegging out on a director's chair.
(I keep painting that picure, eh?)
PS: The main pride never left the kill, I would presume the 2 females were left in charge of the "creche" and were called in when the kill was made.
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Lovely image Morkel, i like the crop it works well for me, image has good colours and nicely exposed, i do wish there was a little less or rather none at all oof grass in the FG, however having said that i do appreciate you were probably sitting or lying in some long grass.
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Hi Morkel, as you had the time and the lions were OK with your presence, then I feel moving more to your left would have helped in eliminating the OOF vegetation in the FG and given perhaps more of the lionesses heads/HA? I like the inquisitive look of the cubs, likewises another lioness looking over their heads too. Not sure if it's a continuation of looking at Brendon's image that I have retained to much yellow, but the image does seem to carry quite a bit, perhaps going a little colour? Also, using your Lumo adjustment layer with some mid tone, does pull back a bit more depth & detail in the cubs, but also in the torso of the standing lionesses.
A nice sighting, but to be partially on foot, what memories.
TFS
Steve
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
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Hi Morkel - sounds like a fantastic sighting and experience. If it were mine I would reduce the reds. I'm also wondering if a bit of ccw rotation is in order. As posted it seems that the kill might have been at the bottom of a v, I wonder whether the cubs and kill should be on a straighter plane. Overall, good choice on the pano and dof. I really like the back lioness peering over the top of the cubs.
TFS,
Rachel
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Fantastic image with lot's of biological information.
I like the eye contact with the young.
This sounds like an awesome place. Will have to put this on my "to visit" list. Hope to be back in South Africa next year.
Let's hope that this view is still possible in a few decades, Lions are in serious trouble across Africa.
Markus
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Originally Posted by
Markus Jais
Fantastic image with lot's of biological information.
I like the eye contact with the young.
This sounds like an awesome place. Will have to put this on my "to visit" list. Hope to be back in South Africa next year.
Let's hope that this view is still possible in a few decades, Lions are in serious trouble across Africa.
Markus
Hello Markus
It is a spendid shoot and cmposition is very ok.
I went twice in Mana and I love it.
I decided to return again tfor my next summer holiday ..and I planned to go in Chitake (I think it is fine) but my wife have some problem with tze tze and so In changed my program and next week I will be in Mapungubwe and then Gonarezou N.P. in Zim.
I will plane again in Mana for a next trip ...without my wife...
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Thanks everyone.
There was a lot of OOF grass (it's more drying shrubs as the rains came late to Mana this year, last year this time it was much more open)...so getting a clear view of the lions without shooting from too high an angle was a challenge, as they were already in a drainage line (the "V" Rachel pointed out). I tried to level in cropping as best as I remember the scene, will have a look at the colour balance again.
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My first observation...aside from the tech excellence of this image...is that you managed to get all good eyes. The more eyes in the photo, the less likely you are to get them all open, lit, etc. In this case, you nailed it. Must have been awesome to witness that as well.
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