Lioness Stare
Lioness stares with intent as we take time to photograph her.
Lioness stares with intent as we take time to photograph her.
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May, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the Lebala - Camp Area of the Okavango Delta, Botswana. While on safari we spotted a pride of young lionesses new to the area and this one in particular was eyeing our open top vehicle with interest. Not long after taking this photo we started the vehicle and moved around the tree she was resting under to view another of the lionesses. It was at this point that she stood up and without losing her gaze followed our vehicle for about 20 metres before breaking her stare and moving on. When we mentioned this to our guide he indicated that she may have been contemplating putting us on her menu as it was unusual for lions to take such an interest in the vehicles or its occupants.Time
It was just on 6 pm so the lighting was still on our side.Lighting
Lighting was natural light and although it was 6 pm it was in summer where light is not an issue at that time of day.Equipment
The shot was taken on a Canon 7D with an EF 100-400mm f/4.5 at 400mm, 1/200th sec @ f/5.6, hand held.Inspiration
The intense stare this lioness possessed was more than enough inspiration to take the shot.Editing
A reasonable crop was done and some minor sharpening and tonal adjustments using Lightroom and NIK plugins. A dark vignette was also added to emphasise the head of the lioness.In my camera bag
The Canon 7D used in this photo is my standby camera with my go to camera being the Canon 1Dx. I also carry a few lenses while on safari including the EF 100-400mm f/4-4.5, EF 70-200mm f/2.8, EF 24-70mm f/2.8, EF 17-40mm f4.0 and the EF 100mm Macro. I also pack in the Canon 600EX-RT flash and a Mefoto Carbon fibre tripod. Along with the assorted accessories like spare memory cards, microfibre cloths, blowers and batteries etc.Feedback
Africa hosts a vast range of wildlife from the smallest dung beetle to largest of all the African Elephant. It is good to have an array of lenses to capture the smallest to the biggest. The scenery is just as amazing so make sure you have the gear to capture those stunning landscapes. Don't be afraid to experiment with different exposures and settings to try and capture something more than the average snapshot of a animal. Don't let an opportunity go by as every encounter is unique but most importantly take time to put the camera down and just take in what you see before you to make the most of your experience in the wild.
