Mighty Lion
A mighty lion in South Africa
A mighty lion in South Africa
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May, 2016Views
2262
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Awards
Action Award
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Member Selection Award
Featured
Judge Favorite
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Virtuoso
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo while volunteering in South Africa. Ever since I was a child I had dreamed of visiting Africa, mostly because of the wildlife that can be found there. It was more than exciting to get to see elephants, ostrich, zebras, giraffes, and of course lions! They are a truly majestic creature, and it's not wonder they have been deemed the "king of the jungle" - although I was nowhere near a jungle.Time
After a full day of various work (cleaning the stables, clearing roads, building structures, taking care of the animals, etc), we usually spent the evenings relaxing or exploring the property. One evening, just before sunset, we went to see the lions and I captured this photo. It was the perfect time of day to make the already beautiful lion look even more magnificent.Lighting
What I liked about the pre-sunset lighting is that it made the natural orange and brown hues in the lion mane "pop" a little more!Equipment
I used a Canon Rebel T2i camera with a 55-250mm lens to capture this photo. I had to use a zoom lens since we obviously couldn't get as close to the lions as I would've liked for safety reasons.Inspiration
My inspiration for this photo was the country of South Africa itself. One of my first thoughts when I think about Africa are the animals such as lions, and for me, this photo is symbolic of my adventure. When I look at it, my mind is flooded with the memories I will never forget from my time in such an amazing place.Editing
The only post-processing was just a little bit of touch up to contrast and colour (just to make things a tiny bit more vibrant), though like I mentioned, the lighting took care of most of that.In my camera bag
These days, I always have my Canon 70D and a couple lenses. If needed, I'll bring along a tripod.Feedback
The best way to get a photo like this is to save up your money, book a flight, and travel! I'm already getting eager to head back to Africa again for another journey, and I'd recommend it to everyone! I feel like Africa is one of those places on Earth that people need to try and visit before they die. It should be on everyones bucket-list. Another key tip is patience. If you are going to be a photographer, you have to be patient, because not every image is going to be a masterpiece, and you're not going to have your camera with you overtime you want it. A good shot will come along, as long as you wait for it!
