Male Lion (Graphic)

[Dumay de Boulle]

This was a very emotional sighting...I arrived at the sighting while the 2 Male Lions were busy eating this Male Buffalo, only problem he was still alive and basically being eaten alive. As the Buffalo bellowed and began to stir, the Male Lion would climb on him again and bite to try finish him off. This happened several times but the Buffalo just didn't want to give in. It took him over an hour and a half to give up the fight.
I had guests on my vehicle as well as other vehicles crying so much they asked to leave the sighting as bellowing and suffering of this animal was too much for them to bare.
I must say even a hardened veteran of the Bush like myself was deeply affected by this heart wrenching experience that I will never forget.

Canon 5D MKIII
Sigma 150-600 Sport
AV f8
TV 1/250
ISO 640
EXP -0,33
Evaluative Metering

I am really amazed at the sharpness of this new Sigma 150-600 Sport...Great AF and very accurate, The build quality is also fantastic considering the price.

I sound like I'm getting commission from Sigma

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Dumay , cracking image .Good sharpness and lovely colors .
Sad story for the buff , but that is hard life in the bush . Not understand people wanting to leave the scene , when it comes to the real life stories .I would have no issue following that .
The image does look good in IQ at this size , just wondering about your techs , why don´t you push the 5D for gaining more SS .
The clipped paw is not ideal from my POV ... have you a version with the paw being in ?

Nice one , TFS Andreas

[Marc Mol]

Cracking image and story Dumay, totally agree with Andreas and it never ceases to amaze me about people who go on safari and their expectations, having witnessed many buffalo/lion kills myself it continues to tug at the heart strings all the same.
For me I find it's worse when the animal is very young, I can recall a similar experience with a lioness and 2 sub-adult males eating a young buffalo calf alive, another was a young ele that took hours to die as well.

What I do find puzzling is this male seems to have his right canine completly broken and wondered was this from the take down? Agree on the clipped paw and use of a higher S/S.

Glad you're impressed with the Sigma sport. a buddy of mine has one and raves about it as well.

TFS

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Dumay - Sounds like a heartwrenching sighting but exciting too. I also don't understand the ones who want to leave. Great eye contact and for me the bloody mouth tells the story here. Good detail and color. I agree on the clipped paw but a solution is to crop up from the bottom to the bottom of the mane, eliminating the leg and kill. The bloody mouth still tells the story. I also don't love the branch that appears to be coming out of the middle of the head and might try to lessen its impact somehow but not a deal breaker.

TFS,
Rachel

[Dumay de Boulle]

I had a feeling the comment of ISO was coming re SS...But I don't understand why more SS is needed if the image is sharp and the DOF is sufficient. I could understand if the image lacked sharpness but this one is perfect at full size. Just because your camera can handle higher ISO doesn't mean it has to. Good technique makes up for a lot. Tight crop was because of the busy environment around the scene so I wanted to eliminate it. I do have one a little wider to incl. more Buffalo and the whole paw maybe I will post it at a later stage.

[Marc Mol]

And the broken canine Dumay?

I hear you and agree totally re. S/S, but for me it's more about best practice to have your S/S slightly higher for critical sharpness,
not that this particular image suffers in that area.
I've been guilty myself many times on pushing low S/S boundries.

[Dumay de Boulle]

Hi Marc...Sorry I wanted to comment on the tooth but ran out of time and planned on doing it later accompanied by this image.

This guys was kicked in the face about a year and a half ago while hunting a very large Male Giraffe. It looked like the jaw was broken initially but he soldiered on and we thought the tooth might fall out...but still it hasn't. As you can see it has healed really well. He is still hugely successful and actually the largest male I have ever seen in the KNP. He moves between us, Lion Sands Sabi Sands, Kirkmans, Sabi Sabi and Nottens. Most of his and his brothers range is the Southern Sabi Sands and they are the Pride Males of the famous Sabi Sand pride called "The Southern Pride"

[Marc Mol]

Hi Marc...Sorry I wanted to comment on the tooth but ran out of time and planned on doing it later accompanied by this image.

This guys was wicked in the face about a year and a half ago while hunting a very large Male Giraffe. It looked like the jaw was broken initially but he soldiered on and we thought the tooth might fall out...but still it hasn't. As you can see it has healed really well. He is still hugely successful and actually the largest male I have ever seen in the KNP. He moves between us, Lion Sands Sabi Sands, Kirkmans, Sabi Sabi and Nottens. Most of his and his brothers range is the Southern Sabi Sands and they are the Pride Males of the famous Sabi Sand pride called "The Southern Pride"

Thanks for the clarification Dumay

Prides often are named differently by various camps (as you'd know), could he be part of what I knew were the Birmingham coalition of 5 I saw tear apart a lone hyena late last year in SSGR?

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Dumay, a very strong and powerful portrait, coupled with the narration, ti illustrates life in the bush is both harsh and distressing, but it's survival of the fittest and they kill to eat.

The head to camera, the diagonal front leg over the body (wish the gripping paw was in frame) adds to the drama. Being slightly dark I feel adds to the mood, although there is a slight clipping it's not harming the image, tweaking the Highlights, Lights and Contrast adds a little more, but personal preference.

Dumay, perhaps the 5DMKIII is on the borderline in terms of production development now, (still a fantastic camera body) but it was at the forefront of cameras designed to be pushed to 'nail' the capture, and where ISO (noise) is now is so easily dealt with in PP and so going for a faster SS can only help to ensure a sharp RAW, especially in low light and or HH. You could have easily gone to say ISO1600 with minimal loss in IQ, but the image would have been sharper. You should try it, nothing to loose and can easily compare one image shot at 1/250 and one at 1/2000, it costs you nothing, only a fraction of storage on the card and a few minutes of PP time.

Enjoyed viewing both images and reading the background to the whole scene.

TFS
Steve

[haseeb badar]

Hi Dumay -- This is a fantastic image and your narration takes it a step further , but that is how life is for these animals . Yes the clipped Paw is somewhat an issue but there are more positive things so not a deal breaker for me in this case . I too am in agreement with higher ss for ensuring sharper images almost at all times , so i guess it is in best interest of the photographer , I have benefitted from it immensely and so i vouch for it .

And your last line in the intro regarding the commission thing

TFS !

[Jonathan Ashton]

Super image DOF and sharp details excellent. Those eyes could kill! He looks to be in great condition despite his dental state.
I have to confess hearing the cries and bellows of the buffalo would not be enjoyable neither would I have empathy for the hungry predator. I appreciate predators have to eat and they don't have a sense of feeling for their prey. To use that old acronym that is nature.
I am hard as nails having worked in pathology for 30 years and in criminal forensic science I have probably seen more dead people at post mortem including children than most, I have also seen people who have been killed or murdered but to witness and the hear the excruciating pain of the buffalo being eaten alive would give me no pleasure whatsoever. I could tolerate and manage it but I wouldn't choose to linger.
Don't misunderstand me, I'm not for a minute implying that you do get pleasure from it. Whilst I appreciate there are great sites and sounds there in the bush there are some I do not really want to listen to or watch for more than a few brief moments. It would be a different situation entirely for me if the buffalo was dead. I just can't help but feel for the prey, it is of course not so bad if they are quickly suffocated or die from hemorrhage but alas that is not always just nature. I feel I am rambling - just had to empathize with the buffalo!!

[Matthew Jones]

WOW. I really enjoyed reading this thread and seeing your AMAZING captures Dumay. I was fortunate to work as a safari guide in a RSA big 5 reserve for a few months so I totally get it. One comment on ISO/SS that hasn't been mentioned yet is that by ramping up the ISO you are ready for action should it arise. Whilst you have obviously nailed this frame if the situation changed and some movement occurred unfortunately at 1/250 it may lack critical sharpness. Yes you can quickly change the settings but would there be time? I want you to catch the shots so I can enjoy them here Just my 2cents worth I try to work my settings hard with emphasis on maximum SS for wildlife action. Again TFS

[Morkel Erasmus]

Cracking portrait mate! The blood on the mouth adds impact and the framing has eliminated much of the gore.
That tooth gives him some character, identified him immediately from photos taken by the Wild Eye guys on their Sabi Sabi workshop this month where he was scrapping with his brother and the females.
A wrenching sighting indeed, buff can be tough to finish off and the bellowing can really affect viewers.

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello Dumay,

Impressive portrait of this male lion and I so enjoyed reading the story behind the capture. This frame is greatly enriched by the facial features and expression you captured from the subject.

Regarding techs, I guess you can afford to take chances, after all you live and work right there where the action happens. I would have personally upped that ISO for more SS, I just don't get to see something like this every day so I take no chances:)

Happy with this as presented, to me a successful capture overall and capable of exciting a sense of beauty of the species. I find the broken tooth a great element of interest.
Just a thought, if Sigma does not pay you for advertising, I think the people you work for should! Time permitting, I would pack my gear and drive there right away, hoping to see and photograph all you've been sharing lately

Great work Dumay, so glad to see you back on BPN and looking forward to more from you as always,

Warmest regards,