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Thread: Just taking a breather...

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Default Just taking a breather...

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    This is one of the Machaton brothers just taking time out after feasting/gorging on a buffalo carcass taken down the previous evening.,Less than 10 minutes drive from camp, but perhaps the toughest of locations to get into, so huge respect Dean..

    We just sat for almost 3 hours watching these guys fill themselves, moving/dragging the almost full weight of this dead buff with ease, a bit of a pain for us, as they would move it into a position not always ideal. With blood stained faces, these two lions filled themselves for sure. This was taken a little while later, constantly on guard, what caught their attention was a 'stealthy' Leopard above, looking to chance it's arm, or in this case, paw! A short while later, the Leopard moved down and then used our vehicle for cover, slipping then quietly down towards the river bed, I think to quench it's thirst, then to check the carcass later I assume, by which time we had left.

    Steve

    Subject: Lion on lookout (Panthera leo)
    Location: SA
    Camera: Canon 1DX
    Lens: 200-400f/4 HH
    Exposure: 1/1000s at f/5.6 ISO3200 EV +0.67
    Original format: Portrait

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Steve - yes, a somewhat harrowing descent to get to the river's edge where the kill was located. The difficulty and location though was what allowed us to be the only vehicle there for most of the 3 hours. What was your focal length here, was the tc engaged? Excellent detail and color. I like the slightly raised chin, gives a slightly different take on a lion portrait. Blood adds interest as well.

    I was about to post a lion but with all the recent lion images I'll have to go for something else.

    Glad to see you've started processing and posting.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    What was your focal length here, was the tc engaged?
    560mm, TC engaged.

    Glad to see you've started processing and posting.
    It's a small mountain to say the least, but will have some to regularly contribute, need to get back to processing all the Owl stuff which is very urgent!!!

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks, I wondered if you needed that high an ISO and ss. The focal length explains it. I know the light was also very variable so often changing ISO depending on conditions.

    Yes, definitely will be processing for a while.

    Cheers,
    Rachel

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Don't forget you loose SS as you +EV.

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    Hi Steve, your usual good techs, excellent sharpness, details, good BG. I feel the image just a touch tight on the LHS, but that is just personal. TFS. Loi

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    BPN Viewer Steve Canuel's Avatar
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    I get that same look while I'm eating a pizza and drinking some beer. You captured it perfectly. Really nice BG on this one too.

  8. #8
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Good evening Steve,

    I might as well bid you "good night" as it is now past 11:30 pm! I have spent the last three hours browsing through the most recent images...I call this " Sunday Evening Top 10", and I usually start at the top of the page and by the time I get to the tenth image I am half asleep, yet tonight this is not the case - I am trying not to miss anything, learning something new from every post and every comment, and yes I wish I could be more brief with my comments but I cannot help it...I have to have my say

    So here it goes...You know how much I love lions and I really took my time to view this image, wondering how you felt when you were looking through your lens at this magnificent specimen, also wondering what went through your mind in terms of PP work later on. Right now as I am writing this comment I cannot help but think that it this were mine you would have asked me to try a square crop ... Techs are indeed spot on, great detail, and that includes those lovely eye lashes...This is one beautiful young male lion who has had his fill and I so like his intense stare - was he looking at the leopard nearby? It is said that once a lion has eaten there's nothing to tempt him, but I have seen lions barely gasping for breath in the heat of the day and after a huge meal, jumping on their feet with great agility to chase another predator arriving at the scene...I am sure there's so much more where this came from...would love to know what happened next...so looking forward to your future posts...

    Warmest regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    2-4 rocks in Africa.... Love this one. Sweet BKGR and animal. Wish only that the eyes were opened a bit more.
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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Steve , nice pose of the lion as if he would sniff something ......... whatever that is.
    Look good to me in total . Just wonder if it is possible , to get a bit more tonal variation in the subject , does look a bit flat to me , but that is just personal preference and must not fit yours .Meaning this more for the areas apart from the face.

    PS. love the glossy eyes

    TFS Andreas

  11. #11
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Totally agree Artie re the eyes, I only wished all subjects performed, posted, stood to a BKG like this.

    Steve, if you can post an image of yourself eating a good set of ribs we can do a comparison .

    Thanks folks, Rachel's way ahead with posting, I'm just spacing things out a tad, but rest assured the 'meaty' bits will follow.

    Just for you, some dark shadow tone applied only to the lower half, as the face is quite contrasty. Also the light was incredibly flat Andreas, partly due to the weather & location as we ALL had reservations about accessing this site, but hey, we did and got the shots.

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Thanks Steve very well done , exactly what i asked for , i think it could have come from me .
    Good that you had the oops for getting there.
    Agree with you that the face already looked good in OP , i feel image has a lot more impact , at least to me .

    Cheers Andreas

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Nice dozy look and cracking details, Steve. Good to see you piling into the Africa photos for a change
    What was so tough/challenging about this location? Up on a hill? Steep riverbank?
    Morkel Erasmus

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  14. #14
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    What was so tough/challenging about this location? Up on a hill? Steep riverbank?
    Steep downhill, bordering on beyond the written manual for Land Rover but also sliding/rolling to the left into a gully & rolling, not ideal with two males at the foot, brothers some 600m away in the riverbed, but then the rewards...

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