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Thread: The Cutie Tree

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Default The Cutie Tree

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    This is a cute lion cub I photographed in December in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, resting in the fork of a camelthorn acacia tree.
    We spent all day with this "creche" of 7 cubs (varying ages) at 13th borehole, often alone as most people would look for a few minutes then drive off (obviously not photographers haha).
    Overcast conditions, but temperature was a sweltering 38 Celcius!


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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Hi Mork, great eye contact, and I like the visible tongue. The little guy was obviously in an 'exploring' mood, as the pose tells us he was about to climb through the fork. Great that you had the creche to yourself.

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Thank goodness for non-photographers, LOL!

    Morkel, I was chatting to a guide the other day - he was just telling me about a wild dog sighting last Saturday in the local Game Reserve, he had a number of guests who at first seemed delighted to come upon this wild dog kill. Blood on they dogs' faces and all running around in the open, some very close to the open vehicle... any photographer would probably call this "an opportunity of a lifetime". As the animals scattered, the guide drove away and it so happens they came upon a number of dogs from the same pack only minutes later, one of them carrying the head of the red duiker they had just killed. The guide was surprised and extremely disappointed when the guests (unanimously) required of him to drive off and look for something else, one of them also asked if it was possible to look for some tigers, if time permitted:)

    Cute little youngster you got here and I think you exposed very well under the circumstances. I love the way the cub is framed by this large tree, he seems so tiny and vulnerable. This works for me Morkel, thinking maybe this is a large crop and you lost a bit of IQ, but you processed this so well and the colours are spot-on, that eye-contact adds so much to this image, overall a wonderful frame i enjoyed viewing - thank you so much for sharing:)

    Warmest regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Lovely pose and very nice surroundings. I like the framing and crop.
    Colours look a little odd, I have never done photography in that area but almost like the cloudy setting on WB with a bit of pink added in.

    A comment on what Gabriela was saying. I get that fairly regularly with the Wild Dogs, we have Wild Dogs denning on our property at the moment. Guests often confuse the Dogs for Hyaenas. We can try to educate them about them and their endangered status as much as we can but it doesn't always work.
    If I have to be critical of some Field Guides is that they put too much emphasis on finding/tracking to show the guests Dogs and I have made the same mistake in the past and have seen the disappointment when found and they don't understand why we spent all this time looking for a Dog. A lot would rather see cats, Elephants or Giraffes.
    I really only try focus on finding Dogs if my guests request it, or there is a sighting running and it won't take up much of the safari looking for them.
    I understand their endangered status and I love seeing them, but its not about what I want.

    Also the Tiger question is also a lot more common than you would think. I have even had Indian guests from India ask me to see Tigers!

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Morning Morkel and Dumay,

    Just a brief comment on the light in this image, if I may: I have a number of frames taken in the KTP where this - let us call it "pinkishness" - is present. Those frames are not necessarily taken in good light. Dumay, I cannot explain it really - some attribute this to the surrounding red, or rather pink dunes, but it might also have something to do with temperature. Morkel you say this was taken in overcast conditions - me thinking of those pink cirrus clouds one gets to see there from time to time, their presence might also contribute to this phenomenon?

    Love this little "tiger" you got here Morkel, he is so cute! Glad I took some time to look at this again, I like it even more now - there's something about this tree filling the fame and the subject that pops in the middle of it that just works for me...

    Have a super weekend, you two
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Way too adorable.. they eyes on this cub are over the top beautiful.. love the light, composition, environment... superb Sir!

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    Lifetime Member Ákos Lumnitzer's Avatar
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    Great looking cub Morkel. Glad you spent time with them rather than just drive off.
    The comp works well.
    TFS

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Morkel - Huge cuteness factor here and this image works so well. Nice sharpness and detail with excellent eye contact. I'm sure when you saw him climb up there you were thrilled. Interesting discussion about the color because I also wondered if it was a bit too red/pink but I know that you, Gabriela and Andre have posted other images with this hue taken in the same place.

    Gabriela and Dumay - I guess asking to see tigers in Africa is like asking to see penguins in the arctic or polar bears in Antarctica. Although, Dave Varty can apparently accommodate one on seeing tigers in Africa. Too bad that more people don't know how special seeing wild dogs is.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Morkel cute factor is a winner in this frame. Great eye contact and i like the cool pose of the youngster. Nicely composed and i like the foliage breaking the overall color .
    Nice details and sharp where it counts .
    TFS Andreas

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    Hi Morkel -- Very cute !! i loved this image , lovely light and settings ,u r having a great time with little ones it seems !! TFS

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  20. #11
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Thanks a lot, folks...
    Morkel Erasmus

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