nobryan18
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Contest Finalist in Powerful Photo Contest
Member Selection Award
Contest Finalist in Freshmen 2016 Photo Contest Vol 2
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Contest Finalist in Using Zoom Photo Contest
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Celtgirl420
September 16, 2016
Love this lions roar, awesome! Congratulations on being a freshman finalist. :)
Donnatti
November 10, 2016
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
cherann
August 15, 2017
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, IL.Time
I have been to the zoo many times to photograph the animals and I find that the best times (aside from the light) is to get there early or late in the afternoon. The animals are typically more active and make for better pictures. This photo was taken late in the afternoon, before closing.Lighting
In my opinion, the light on the lions face is the best part of the photo. You can see where it is much more harsh on the right side (lion left) which gives it some dimension. I took this later in the afternoon so the sun wasn't directly overhead.Equipment
This was shot with a Nikon D750 and a Nikon 70-200 f2.8 VRII lens. No tripod or flash was used.Inspiration
Living in Chicago, I don't get exposed to much wildlife so I usually have to resort to the zoo or aquarium. I am fascinated by animals so I can get lost shooting them for hours. The lion habitat is one of the most popular attractions, however, more often than not they are sleeping or showing little emotion. I got really lucky on this day because they were more active than I had ever seen. I stayed in this location for so long taking pictures that my friend got sick of waiting and moved on. I knew this was a rare chance to get some amazing photos and it paid off.Editing
I use Lightroom for most of my post-production. I usually add contrast, sharpen, some clarity, saturation, dodge and burn. My signature editing style is to darken the background so that the animal/person pops. It also makes it feel unique, like a studio portrait. I do this not only with animals but with a lot of street portraits and concerts.In my camera bag
I usually carry a Lowepro backback with a Nikon D750 and Nikon 24-70 f2.8, Nikon 70-200 f2.8 and Sigma 16mm fisheye lenses. When I am shooting concerts or other events I will pack my Nikon D7100 and BlackRapid dual camera strap.Feedback
Just shoot as much as you can and capitalize on the opportunities to get great images. I shoot a lot of concerts and events that require me to see things quickly and get the shot. Often times I have to get out of my comfort zone to get the best shots. Be patient and keep your eye open, you never know when something amazing will happen.