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Thread: Jungle King under flattering light

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    Default Jungle King under flattering light

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    Compared to tigers, lions eyes are smaller. They also like to keep them closed even while walking. So I find many images unusable as window to their soul is closed! I was lucky in this instant though where light was great and eyes were open.

    Nikon D810, 600 mm f4, 1/1600s, f4, ISO 560.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Jay, yes there are a few issues with the image, mainly you have cut the feet off, however if you look back at previous images the overall presentation looks really good, so well done.

    I really like the fact you have place the subject off-set and the head is slight angled into the negative space. You have some fine detail in the subject, nice and sharp and overall good clarity. OK, purely personal, I'm not a fan of shooting wide open, but this has worked a treat and the BKG is diffused giving excellent separation to the subject. Not sure if you could go a tad warmer as I'm on the MacBook Pro, so will leave there to ponder.

    The big negative is cutting the feet off and you could easily have avoided this as these cats love sandy roads, it's soft under foot and carry's no noise and so you simply get ahead, get your setting right and then just wait, allow the subject to walk into frame and then when fire away, move the vehicle, set up and repeat the situation, planning is key and the subject rarely deviates. With a fixed lens it gives you that nice distance, but as the subject moves closer it fills the lens, this is where a zoom is handy, but so many folk want the subject so close then the angle kills the image IMHO.

    They also like to keep them closed even while walking. So I find many images unusable as window to their soul is closed! I was lucky in this instant though where light was great and eyes were open.
    Lions spend 95% of their time doing what Lions do best, being fat & sleepy, but remember it's nice to have light behind you, however if it's bright animals do what we do and squint, (they don't wear sunglasses) and so you have to pick you moment and when the light is less harsh. Don't worry about the eyes being closed, yes it's not ideal, but there might be some valuable info you can still get from posting the images, so post away.

    Overall Jay you should be happy with this and although it has a huge negative, you hopefully will remember for next time and so it's a POSITIVE, not an, outright negative.

    TFS
    Steve

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    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
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    Lovely golden light indeed Jay,

    and you're right about a lions eyes when walking, you just have to pick and select the right moment as you've done here, however the cut legs is quite an issue and one easily remedied with your 600 by switching to a vertical with patience and subject distance.

    Plus you have plenty of cropping ability with your D810. I gather this was F/F?

    TFS


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    Hi Jay -- I love the Lion and you have got a very handsome specimen here . I liked the light and your PP work here and that BKG is stunning .

    Main issue here is the legs and you should have gone vertical in this instance.

    TFS !

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    Very nice light. Like the pose on the lion and the background is pretty nice. This would have made a nice vertical. Easy to say after the fact.

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Jay - It's covered well above but the cut legs are a real image killer here. Love the light and bg. I think you might be able to salvage a decent portrait by cropping up from the bottom to just below the bottom of the mane. I too like that the lion is off-center.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Thank you Steve, Marc, Haseeb, John and Rachel. Your encouraging words are much appreciated. Yes, feet -- what can I say.

    I want to share a funny story with you all. For Masai Mara, I insisted to the travel agent that I wanted driver who is experienced with the requirements of photographers. This guy was good, not great. And he did not take too kindly to-- please move forward by foot, or can you turn a bit to the left. He wanted you to take pics from the spot he thought it was best. For Sambure, I got a super nice guy. Ready to follow YOUR instructions. But he did not know about animal behavior and how to position the vehicle. So we had this opportunity that cheetah was going to go for a kill and he is asking me, tell me what should I do?! So suddenly I became guide, director and photographer. At that moment, I appreciated the Mara driver more than I saw his value when we were there! Guides (who are separate from drivers in India) I had in India were super duper.

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    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Shah View Post
    I insisted to the travel agent that I wanted driver who is experienced with the requirements of photographers. This guy was good, not great. And he did not take too kindly to-- please move forward by foot, or can you turn a bit to the left. He wanted you to take pics from the spot he thought it was best. For Sambure, I got a super nice guy. Ready to follow YOUR instructions. But he did not know about animal behavior and how to position the vehicle. So we had this opportunity that cheetah was going to go for a kill and he is asking me, tell me what should I do?! So suddenly I became guide, director and photographer. At that moment, I appreciated the Mara driver more than I saw his value when we were there!
    Have heard this so many times, that's one guide I'd never use again, did you have your own private vehicle? Which Mara camp, may I ask?

    Drop me a PM if you like.


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    Hi Marc, Yes I had my own private vehicle for both the trips. I find that if you are sharing a vehicle with others who are not photographers, it is suboptimal.

    At Mara I stayed at two camps -- Mara Eden and Mara Olapa. Liked both of them.

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    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Shah View Post
    Hi Marc, Yes I had my own private vehicle for both the trips. I find that if you are sharing a vehicle with others who are not photographers, it is suboptimal.
    That's good to know, as a wildlife photographer a PV is the only way to go and gave up sharing vehicles over 15 years ago now.


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