chelseatischler
FollowA portrait of the lion affectionately known as Bob Marley for his dreadlocks.
A portrait of the lion affectionately known as Bob Marley for his dreadlocks.
Read less
Read less
Views
6233
Likes
Awards
Action Award
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Wildlife Portraits Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Visions Of Africa Photo Contest
Member Selection Award
Featured
Contest Finalist in The Battle Of Professionals Photo Contest
Runner Up in Compositions 101 Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Animal Kingdom Photo Contest Vol 1
Contest Finalist in Compositions 101 Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Discover Africa Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Top Ranks
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the middle of the Serengeti in Tanzania on a group of pink granite rocks called the Kopjes.Time
We successfully tracked this lion, affectionately named "Bob Marley" by the locals for his famously dreadlocked mane, around mid afternoon in early March of 2016. He and his brother "Ziggy" were taking a nap in the hot mid-day sun, which is typical. My group decided to wait with Bob and Ziggy to see what would unfold as the day went on, but the pair napped for literally hours. After three full hours of waiting and at the last possible moment when there was just barely enough light to take a decent photo, Bob got up from the grass, walked to the top of the rock, sat down in front of the camera, and moved his face into the light. A magical moment indeed!Lighting
This photo was captured from inside a safari vehicle where I had used bungee cords and a tripod to somewhat stabilize the camera. Unfortunately light was quite low, so I had to turn up the ISO a bit more than I would have liked. I deliberately underexposed the photo to get as much shutter speed as I possibly could and brought up the shadows a bit in post-processing. It wasn't an ideal situation, but it saved the moment.Equipment
This photo was taken in available natural light conditions with a Canon 5DM3 camera body and Canon EF 200-400 mm L series lens. I had a Gitzo tripod bungeed into the car door.Inspiration
When I heard rumors from locals about the lion with the dreadlocked mane, I had an emotional reaction and immediately wanted to seek out and document this magnificent creature.Editing
As described earlier, the available light was very low for the capability of the equipment that I had at the time. After hours of waiting for this incredible creature to wake up, I finally had the opportunity to photograph him for less than 5 minutes at dusk, right as the park rules required us to return to our camp. In order to preserve sharpness and reduce the amount of motion blur, I deliberately sacrificed the exposure a bit, photographed the scene on the dark side, and brought up the exposure in post processing. In this version of the photo, I also removed a fly from his bottom.In my camera bag
I am heavily invested in Canon gear. I have a 1DX Mark II, a 5D Mark 4, and a 5DSR, and a huge arsenal of Canon lenses, both primes and zooms. My tripod legs and head are made by Gitzo.Feedback
In the domain of wildlife photography, your patience will be rewarded, so be prepared to wait! But while you're waiting, also be ready for a flurry of activity at any moment! Animals can be unpredictable; they are not on a schedule and they do whatever they want whenever they please. And never, ever get out of your safari vehicle when animals are around!