nina050
FollowNo matter how big or small, cats are cats and exhibit the same behaviors! San Francisco Zoo, California
No matter how big or small, cats are cats and exhibit the same behaviors! San Francisco Zoo, California
Read less
Read less
Views
2304
Likes
Awards
People's Choice in Big and small cats Photo Challenge
People's Choice in Lions, Tigers, Bears and Wolves. Oh My! Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
Genius
Love it
Top Ranks
Categories
JulesB
June 04, 2015
Magnificent Nina!!! What perfect timing again on an outstanding shot.....top marks for this one...excellent!!!!!
kathymuhle
June 06, 2015
Outstanding shot - there is so much texture to his mane and such a handsome lion - I love how you've isolated him - beautifully shot and processed!
AnneDphotography
June 09, 2015
amazing capture and pose ! .... I wish they came in a much smaller version , I love lions !
donanzinger
July 06, 2015
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
SnowbunnyPhotography
February 09, 2016
Oh. My. Goodness! LOVE this image. Can't get enough of big cats. You got him stretching too. Awesome!! :-)
jlappen
October 19, 2016
INCREDIBLE ... just incredible. As are most of your photos. :-) Have seen photo after photo of lions and they are all magnificent, but NEVER one in this position. Can't say INCREDIBLE enough!!!
KayBrewer
November 07, 2016
Congratulations, my good friend! Won People's Choice in Lions, Tigers, Bears and Wolves. Oh My! Photo Challenge!! And so deserved!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the San Francisco Zoo on a mild August day.Time
Knowing that the animals tend to "hibernate" under the shade of a tree or inside their enclosures during the mid day heat, we made a point to get there early in the hopes of capturing the cats when they were out and about. I photographed this big male at about 9 a.m.Lighting
Early morning when the light is "soft" is almost always the best time for most photography. This is especially true of animals in a zoo.Equipment
This photo was taken handheld with a Nikon D7100 using a borrowed 500mm lens during a photo shoot.Inspiration
Knowing that the big cats would be more active before the day got hot we made a point to photograph them earlier than later. We weren't disappointed when this big guy began wandering around his enclosure. He put on quite a show and we were able to capture some wonderful and different poses before he settled down for a long nap.Editing
Lightroom and Photoshop were both utilized for slight color enhancement and clarity.In my camera bag
Since taking this photo, I upgraded to a Nikon D750 full frame camera. My normal lens of choice is a Nikkor 28-300mm zoom lens which I find extremely versatile in most situations. I also have a Nikkor 24-120mm and a macro lens as well. I always have 2 64gb memory cards in my camera with a spare 32gb card as backup as I shoot in both Raw and jpg Fine. Additionally, I always carry a fully charged spare battery and battery charger, UV and polarizing filters for all lenses, a Tiffen variable ND filter, the Cokin filter system, a lightweight carbon fiber tripod, a remote release and cleaning supplies.Feedback
Capturing animals with a camera is almost always a challenge, and this is especially true of those confined in a zoo. It is always a good idea to get there early. Not only is the lighting better, but the animals are almost always more active while the day is still cool; and since visitors are restricted by the animal enclosures, it's pretty difficult to take a photo of an animal once its wandered off to nap under a tree during the midday heat.