The Walk Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

One of 5 male lions we encountered on the Moreshwe Pan in the Khutse Game Reserve early one morning. It was clear that they hunted during the night, and that they were now looking for a place to rest for the day.

Lions leep a lot. In fact, they can sleep for up to 23 hours a day. It is therefore always interesting to find them active in their natural habitat. This was one of the younger lions in the group (its mane is not fully grown yet) and note the characteristic lazy walk of the lion.

Photo taken at 500mm (750mm on the Nikon D100) from quite a distance, so I think I was lucky to get an unblurred shot of a moving subject.

Lion (Pantera leo):
Lions are the largest of Africa's cat family. Male lions can weigh between 180 and 240 kilograms. Lions are carnivores which feed mainly on hoofed animals. They are very adaptable, and will inhabit most types of habitat where there is enough food. Lions are mainly nocturnal and generally sleep during the day, but are often seen at dawn and dusk.

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Critiques | Translate

olli (2091) 2004-02-02 3:40

Technically excellent shot of that beautiful animal. Nice brown tones.

Even though the background is simple and highlights the main subject nicely I think it could be more interesting...

orme (6746) 2004-02-02 4:11

Beautiful shot, Henry. Excellent colours, especially around the eyes and ears. I like the way the wind is blowing the lion's mane. Thank you for the detailed note.

Midnight_sun (1939) 2004-02-02 4:30

A hard shot well executed. the focus on the face is sharp and the colours are perfect. I would have liked you to be a little lower when you took this shot to get the horizon in, but i think its a great shot anyway. Well done.

jrj (34779) 2004-02-02 4:35

A fine capture of the lion Henry. I like the way he looks directly in to the camera - like evalutaing a lunch table ;-)

manny (21378) 2004-02-02 5:25

Wonderful details. Like the DOF. I like the expression of your subject and the golden brown on its head that brightens up the whole picture. Good.

carper (65742) 2004-02-02 6:11

Great capture Henry,

Its a technical great shot because the lion is on whole his body sharp. good dof as well. Very good job

Jeppe (18623) 2004-02-02 6:12

My first impression was - This must have been taken with quite a Zoom objective. And I can see from your notes - I was right.
Simply a perfect photo of this beautiful animal - Sharp with a great DOF. The eye's and the teeth show he’s spotted "breakfast" - glad you made it.

Very good work as usual Henry -Thanks for sharing.

Darren (6819) 2004-02-02 6:17

This is very nice. Thanks to the long lens, the lion is nice and distinct from his surroundings. The cat looks great, but I agree with Ollie that it would be even better with a somewhat more interesting background. You certainly can't be faulted for that though. Good shot.

avigur_11 (21307) 2004-02-02 6:24

Another great "animal in action" shot, Henry. It is very good technicaly - sharpness, DOF, contrast/brightness.
I like the soft colors at the background, helping to highlight the lion, and I like the lion's pose and look. Very well done, Henry.

gepall (1808) 2004-02-02 7:35

Majestic shot of a royal animal.
The look in its eyes are so tense that cause you fear.

jhm (83378) 2004-02-02 7:39

Beautiful shot, Henry. Excellent colours, especially around the eyes and ears. I like the way the wind is blowing the lion's mane. Thank you for the detailed note. Very good job.

PLD_images (7141) 2004-02-02 10:03

Bring on the cats Henry! I love felines and this is another great shot of one. You have capture this shot at a very nice moment. I like the action and the angle of the King. The sharpness is again very well done. You seem to have gotten very good with your Sigma 50-500.

eelliott305 (776) 2004-02-02 12:21

Another great shot from your trip Henry. From the amount of detail it looks like you were much closer. That is a powerful lens you have.

PechePassion (483) 2004-02-02 13:37

Puté genial !
Couleurs , details tout est bon !

JudyH (700) 2004-02-02 13:51

This is brilliant photography - great DOF. The expression on this cat is really intense. Living in this country and having seen a few lions myself, a picture never quite does justice to the real moment... Glad you didn't become breakfast.

Rockyboy (20582) 2004-02-10 6:15

Very nice picture... His look is wonderful and it seems that he is coming at me. Well done!