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Nice even lighting on the lion itself but the background is problematic. I don't know what to do in these type of situations and look forward to hear what others may offer.
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Lifetime Member
Hi Sanjeev - Another nice looking zoo shot and pp is looking better. I do think you needed more ss with that combo and handholding it. If it were mine I would open the midtones on the lion a bit to bring out some more detail. To handle the highlights in the bg I would do a luminosity mask selectively on the bg and then probably still burn the highlights a bit more with the burn tool. Keep them coming.
TFS,
Rachel
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Hi Sanjeeve, nice shot of an Asiatic Lion. I didn't even know what they look like, so TFS. The light is problematic as already pointed out. The lion face lacks the fine details and looks too flat. Like Rachel suggested, opening up the mid tome and may be apply some contrast may help. Loi
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Hi Sanjeeve, First you might like to darken the BG which would make the lion stand out better, Like the way the pic is composed.
Hiran
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BPN Member
Hi Sanjeev, very nice portrait. Rachel gave you great suggestions, I would add instead of the burn tool a clone tool, set to 20-50% for the burn out spots. BTW, got this tip from Rachel looong time again and still use it sometimes, when there is no other way to recover such ben outs. Your BG looks very cluttered so very easy done to select from whatever place to clone the spots. 
Have a great day
Ciao
Anette
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BPN Member
Hi Sanjeev another nice Zoo portrait from you.
Good suggestions by Rachel, but i think very difficult to do , like wise cloning what Anette said, because you have hairs in front of the blown area .
This lion looks odd in the face. Maybe it is an issue of genetic poorness which this species is fighting with, specially in captivity.
As far as i know there are only roundabout 300 of them left in the wild.And even less in captivity.
TFS Andreas
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Wildlife Moderator
Hi Sanjeev, you already have some good advice, so if you revisit the file you should be able to ,move it up a gear.
Based on the OP I took it into LR, yes the highlights in the BKG are blown so first port of call should be to drop those. I also agree that darkening the BKG slightly helps too. Not sure about lightening the mid tones, sadly I'm on the laptop which is not ideal, but I just drop them and the with a Curves adjustment brought up some lighter tones. The vegetation is a little distracting, but nothing you could have done. Like the idea of having part of the tree as the side to the frame.
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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Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator
Dear Sanjeev,
I speak from the heart when I say I experience an overwhelming sadness at the thought that this majestic animal - beautifully captured here - has never smelt freedom and never felt the adrenaline of the chase. There is something distant, a longing, a sadness, in this lion's gaze. Although he is not quite young, he hasn't lived yet. This image is as sad as it is evocative, and - whether you are aware of it or not - this photograph carries a powerful message, and that is Lions Do Not Belong In Cages. I thank you for posting this, it makes me appreciate what I have seen and experienced in my numerous encounters with lions, it makes me love and respect them even more, it increases my desire to portray them in their natural environment as much as I possibly can. Sanjeev, a powerful image this is to me, and I appreciate what there is in it ( thoughtful crop, good processing) as well as what is not ( that powerful emotion one has when facing/photographing a lion in the wild, in close proximity).
I now refer to Steve's line above "photography should evoke more than it describes"-your image is very special to me because it brought about certain thoughts and emotions. I have just returned from a trip to the Kalahari and there I had a different experience: the lions are free and fearless, they look into your eyes with curiosity and a kind of mischievousness, in the Kalahari we (the travellers) are the ones in the cages (cars).
Once again, thank you for this post. I look forward to more images from you.
Warmest regards,
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Gabriela, I am touched by your words and feelings. Yes there is a sense of sadness in the lions eyes. We felt his loneliness when we visited him. My 9 year old nephew too commented that he looks sad and bored in captivity. As Andreas said, there are very few asiatic lions in the wild. We here in India have done very little to conserve this species with more emphasis on conserving tigers. There is little regard for wildlife in the general population in India, which pains me. That si why I have great respect for Africa where still people are trying to retain the natural habitat for wildlife. Thanks for your comments, I appreciate them.
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Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator
Thank you Sanjeev, and it is wonderful to know you care. I think your nephew cares too. I believe one can make a change if one cares enough. I never give up, I keep taking photographs and writing and trying to educate people about wildlife and the environment. I read a lot about animal behaviour and I am fortunate to have friends who are actively involved in protecting the environment-there is so much to learn from them. I want to do more and I am always looking for new opportunities and like-minded people. Keep up the good work, an image such as this can raise awareness, it can tell a story-why not send it to a magazine or newspaper in your country, with a little story attached?
Kind regards,
Sanjeev Aurangabadkar thanked for this post
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