When we found these cubs they were in the shade, playing, lazing about and on the odd occasion, posing for the camera, however when it's meal time they would hold their own and became quite feisty little things, scrapping for every morsel with one another in the pride.
This is from the same sequence as Rachel's Lioness, within probably half an hour the kill had been despatched with little remaining apart from some flattened, blood stained grass.
Not the easiest of locations to shoot from, but we certainly had the prime spot. The jeep was parked on an old termite mound and at rather precarious angle, this is shot over the Ranger to my right looking down with the whole pride within feet of us, as the move around, dragging parts of the carcass about like a toy. What I do like is the fact you can see the retractable claws extended from the paw.
Steve
Subject: Lion cub feeding on a kill (Panthera leo)
Location: SA
Camera: Canon 1DX
Lens: 200-400f/4 HH
Exposure: 1/320s at f/5.6 ISO1600 EV +0.33
Original format: Portrait, slight crop.
Super behavior image with the eye, nose, red meat, paws grabbing the attention! Nice glow of light on the forehead, catching the eye and a great bkgd of matted grasses that set the scene but does not interfere. Depending upon how fussy you want to be, I would consider darkening those 2 bits of brighter grass near the ear. Vertical format is a great orientation for this image. Looking down on a pride of feeding lions has to be awesome.
Hi Steve - Yes, a great sighting and those cubs could really move when summoned by the adults to the kill site. If I recall correctly this cub was the runt but grabbed a fairly large piece and pulled it off to the side while the others all went for the main part of the kill. You handled the lighting well. Nice detail and I too like the extended claws.
Excellent image with so much to like, I understand the angle can be difficult from vehicle as I too experienced it recently. But you did very well and got the eye contact, the claws etc with some lovely detail and sharpness. Am sure it must have been a memorable sighting.
Despite having spent so many hours in the company of lions, I have had little luck with those little ones. I am so jealous of these lovely sightings during your SA trip! I captured a few special images of cubs a few years ago and the entire folder is missing - well, it can only be my fault...
I really like the way your subject is protecting his meal, he is holding this morsel tightly with those oversized paws and keeps a watchful eye for potential competition... I also like the "nest" of grass he is lying in - despite a few blades getting in the way of his munching, this little clearing helps frame the subject and isolate him from surroundings. You certainly know how to make the best of a situation, the angle and POV works so well and you have managed to bring out/emphasise those lovely pink sheaths and those claws. The colours are spot on and this is sharp where it matters, I am studying your processing carefully these days and I must say I am learning a lot (even though I am not always so successful in applying all this knowledge).
Lovely moment captured in the difficult grasses.. (been there)
I can see why you have not increased the f-stop to keep the grasses OOF.
Where was your focal point, the flesh, nose and eye in focus, but then falls off fast behind eye.
Love the bloodstained whiskers!
Andre
Andre here you go, just remember the closer you are, the more DoF is required, I'm not fussed about the fact it falls off as the key areas are sharp, but also heads move and so the FP may have been on the eye originally.
I smiled when I viewed this image and read your story the other night. I suddenly had this scenario in my mind with all of you in the open vehicle, lion pride scattered around, some in close proximity to the Jeep. Since you described the conditions, I could imagine some of the difficulties you encountered and realised you must have taken this image with equipment hand held, having to consider the ranger in front of you and every one else around. As well as equipment lying on the seats or floor...You also had to be careful not to move around too much because that might have upset the lions. I bet you took quite a few frames of this young cub - obviously this is one capture you liked a lot, and I think know why.
Exciting but so exhausting, trying not to miss that special moment, waiting for eye contact, for something to happen- right? When we were with Carl among the lions we were just the three of us, each one occupying one bench. It was frustrating for me when the action was happening in front of the vehicle as I had to stand up and eventually grew tired of holding the camera with the 500mm attached. After a while the lions moved right behind me, but so close that I had to squeeze myself between the seats and shoot from the side, again equipment in hand. At first mommy lion was growling with every move, later she relaxed and so did we. When I eventually tried to get up I realised I was stuck in-between the seats. Would love to hear more about your trip one day, and especially those fun moments you all treasure and remember
Have a great evening, hope you post some more of those special sightings!
I wish you were closer Gabriela so we could exchange some of our encounters, truth be told it was me who did not want to go to the kill, knowing that it would be hard to get an angle and we already knew the sighting was not in an open area, but two girls against one guy, what could I have done? We did however maximise our location, the girls having a seat to themselves meant they could move freely and without issue, but certainly having the vehicles to ourselves did mean we capitalised on everything and our locations.
Oh but the time will come, Steve! Either you'll decide it is time to come back to Africa, or we might be visiting your side of the woods. Some plans in the pipeline, although Etosha is high on my priority list right now, thinking of September or October next year. We are already booked for the Kalahari for February 2015
Whew, only three sleeps and Andreas is arriving, then nine more sleeps and we're on our way to visit Charlie-Ash and his clan, Rosetta the leopard, wild cats, springbok, wildebeest, gemsbokkies, my beloved Cape Foxes and those stubborn, witty, fluffy, Bat Eared Foxes who run away even before I get to press the shutter button! And hopefully some new characters... Would love to have a sat phone with Internet so I could upload fresh sightings from the Kalahari on Wildlife BPN...With stories, of course! I'd want you to be glued to your big screen... but... would I really want to share with you all my blown highlights and the not-so-sharp images, interesting as they might be?
Never told you about the Bat-Eared-Foxes, we discovered this cute couple in one place...and saw them again on numerous occasions...It's all dune and scrub and tiny bushes...Not much traffic either...When you drive at normal speed (40km/h) past their "hunting" area, they make themselves small and you can barely see them as you drive by, let alone take pics. They lie flat on the ground and blend so well with their surroundings...As soon as you slow down they run away... no matter how ready you are to shoot them, all you get is "tails up" and the back of their tiny paws...tried so many times without success, they are so clever...too clever...I so miss the Kalahari
I am getting hungry. This looks great, love the details as always in this one from you, Steve. Colors and all sits. I didn t hear that story that eve, or might have forgotten :)
no smilies again for me, oh well.
Tucking in...
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