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Black-maned Lion Of The Kalahari With Two Cubs



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The black-maned lion (Panthera leo) is almost peculiar to the Kalahari area of Botswana. We were fortunate enough to come upon a pride with the male leader, 5 c...
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The black-maned lion (Panthera leo) is almost peculiar to the Kalahari area of Botswana. We were fortunate enough to come upon a pride with the male leader, 5 cubs, and 4 females. It was barely sunrise and the pride was returning from a nighttime kill of a wildebeest and feed. They were heading in for a well-earned nap. First the big male went ahead to make find a safe resting area, then he called a couple of the cubs to join him, and finally the rest of the pride came and they settled down for a nap. It was one of the most exciting things I've ever seen. At times we were within 30 feet of them in our open-topped vehicle.

The male lion sometimes exceed 550 pounds, making it the second-largest cat after the tiger.


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5080

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Awards

Zenith Award
Contest Finalist in Wildlife Families Photo Contest
Amateur Winner Animals In The Wild Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Animals In The Wild Photo Contest
Community Choice Award
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 49
Contest Finalist in The Nature Lover Photo Contest
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Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
joshambrose_9814 salvatorevalente morriskleyman Cwaltemate karthikeyankrishnamoorthy Dhruthi369 ranmorris +65
Top Choice
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Magnificent Capture
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Superb Composition
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Outstanding Creativity
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Genius
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Top Ranks

Wildlife Love Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Earth Day Every Day Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Visualize Beginnings Photo ContestTop 20 rank
Visualize Beginnings Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
The Family Moment Photo ContestTop 20 rank
The Family Moment Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Looking At Faces Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Looking At Faces Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Wildlife Families Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Wildlife Families Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Animals In The Wild Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Animals In The Wild Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
ViewBug Photography Awards 2018Top 10 rank
ViewBug Photography Awards 2018Top 10 rank week 2
ViewBug Photography Awards 2018Top 10 rank week 1
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 6Top 10 rank
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 6Top 10 rank week 1
Creative Compositions Photo Contest Vol7Top 10 rank
Creative Compositions Photo Contest Vol7Top 10 rank week 1
Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 5Top 10 rank
Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 5Top 10 rank week 1
Covers Photo Contest Vol 49Top 10 rank
Covers Photo Contest Vol 49Top 10 rank week 2
Covers Photo Contest Vol 49Top 10 rank week 1
Monthly Pro Photo Contest Vol 44Top 20 rank
Monthly Pro Photo Contest Vol 44Top 20 rank week 2
The Nature Lover Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Monthly Pro Photo Contest Vol 44Top 20 rank week 1
The Nature Lover Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
The Nature Lover Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 35Top 10 rank
Monthly Pro Photo Contest Vol 43Top 10 rank
Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 35Top 10 rank week 2
Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 35Top 10 rank week 1

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39 Comments | Report
NatureLoverJJWal
 
NatureLoverJJWal July 19, 2018
so pretty!
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
Thank you, Gigi!
lizziemellis Platinum
 
lizziemellis July 20, 2018
Fabulous Image Kay of this lion family group:-)
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
I do love those families!
Pamelabole PRO
 
Pamelabole July 20, 2018
Wow....what an experience and event to witness. Gorgeous capture!! : )
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
It truly was! Thank you!
onyanita PRO+
 
onyanita July 21, 2018
superb capture with lovely light
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
Early morning Golden Hour!
mcampi Platinum
 
mcampi July 22, 2018
OMG Kay your nailed it. What a wonderful capture. I love the little guy looking out.
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
Making sure Mama wasn't on the warpath :)
dkoch28
 
dkoch28 August 13, 2018
A beautiful family!
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
Aren't they? I loved them.
nina050
 
nina050 August 16, 2018
Wow...just wonderful
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
Thank ya, Nina!
AnneDphotography
 
AnneDphotography September 23, 2018
wow , love the eyes and eyes the shot … perfect depth
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
400mm all the way out
Elyzabeth PRO
 
Elyzabeth September 28, 2018
Voted Monthly Pro :)
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
kiss kiss
Elyzabeth PRO
 
Elyzabeth September 28, 2018
Voted Nature Lover :)
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
kiss kiss kiss kiss
Brandibaby17
 
Brandibaby17 October 08, 2018
My dream to photograph there!! I manifest abundance so I can do just this! Great great photo! Wonderful animals!
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
I highly recommend it! Beats the zoo!.
UnkleFrank
 
UnkleFrank October 08, 2018
It's always nice to see your work in the contest finalist ward category. My compliments on a well deserved award. Love this shot.
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
Thank you, Unk. Now to win....
Alfredo_Jose
 
Alfredo_Jose October 08, 2018
Stunning!
BabZz
 
BabZz October 09, 2018
Absolutely fantastic shot family
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
Thank you!
estercastillo08
 
estercastillo08 October 11, 2018
Beautiful !!
estercastillo08
 
estercastillo08 October 11, 2018
Congratulations !!!! Kay, Won Contest Finalist The Nature Lover Photo Contest , good luck !!
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
Thank you, Ester. Didn't win the contest....
Stefnie PRO+
 
Stefnie October 17, 2018
Beautiful!
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
Thank you, Stefnie
NatureLoverJJWal
 
NatureLoverJJWal October 25, 2018
Congratulations in your finalist in Nature!
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
Thank you, Gigi!
Elyzabeth PRO
 
Elyzabeth October 28, 2018
Voted Celebrating Nature :)
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
Thank you, Dahlin'
Stefnie PRO+
 
Stefnie November 01, 2018
Love this family photo
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 01, 2018
Thank you!
carolcardillo PRO+
 
carolcardillo November 02, 2018
Congrats, Kay, on 2 Finalist Awards! Gorgeous work...
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 09, 2018
Thanks, Carol!
estercastillo08
 
estercastillo08 November 02, 2018
Congrats in Finalist win!!
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 09, 2018
Thank you, Ester!
kathymuhle PRO+
 
kathymuhle November 02, 2018
Congratulations Kay! Beautiful photo and well deserved. From your last trip with your brother?
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 09, 2018
Thanks, Kathy. No, from a Botswana trip in 2014.
keepclicking
 
keepclicking November 07, 2018
Just beautiful
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 09, 2018
Thank you!
estercastillo08
 
estercastillo08 November 09, 2018
Congatulations !!! Kay Won Community Choice Awards, well desrved
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 10, 2018
Thanks, Ester. I don't even know what that means.....
williambennyhawthorne
 
williambennyhawthorne November 11, 2018
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
Elyzabeth PRO
 
Elyzabeth November 26, 2018
Voted Creative Compositions :)
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 30, 2018
Thank you evah so much, dahlin'
Elyzabeth PRO
 
Elyzabeth November 26, 2018
Voted My Best Shot :)
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 30, 2018
And again, sweetums.
estercastillo08
 
estercastillo08 November 29, 2018
Congratulations !!! Kay Won Contest Finalist in Cover Photo Contest
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer November 30, 2018
Thank you, Ester!
NatureLoverJJWal
 
NatureLoverJJWal December 01, 2018
Congratulations on your award!
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer December 02, 2018
Thank you, Gigi!
DNproSTUDIO
 
DNproSTUDIO July 22, 2019
nice the lion photo
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer July 23, 2019
Thank you!
Erika02
 
Erika02 August 24, 2019
rendiküli kép.
p_eileenbaltz Platinum
 
p_eileenbaltz August 24, 2019
Wonderful capture! Congratulations on winning another well-deserved contest finalist award.
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer August 26, 2019
Thanks so much!
JenniferDawn19
 
JenniferDawn19 August 26, 2019
Love
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer August 26, 2019
Thanks so much!
mcampi Platinum
 
mcampi September 04, 2019
Congrats on your win in animals in the wild... Just awesome shot.
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer September 04, 2019
Thank you so much, Mark!
NatureLoverJJWal
 
NatureLoverJJWal September 05, 2019
Congratulations on your Animals in the wild award!
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer September 05, 2019
Thanks so much!
carolcardillo PRO+
 
carolcardillo December 30, 2019
Congrats on being a Finalist in Animal Families, Kay!
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer December 30, 2019
Thanks, Carol!
mihrt PRO+
 
mihrt August 05, 2021
Don’t know how I missed this one !! Fabulous capture !!
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer October 15, 2021
Thank you, Gail!
Goran405
 
Goran405 October 15, 2021
Wow! beautiful
KayBrewer Platinum
KayBrewer October 15, 2021
Thank you! It's one of my favorites.
See all

Behind The Lens

Location

I spent 2 weeks in Botswana on safari. One morning as we ate breakfast our guide came to tell us a pride of 10 lions had been spotted not far from our lodge. Off we go immediately and spent the morning with the pride. Here you see the male leader. There were also 5 cubs, and 4 females. It was barely sunrise and the pride was returning from a nighttime kill of a wildebeest, heading in for a well-earned nap. First the big male went ahead to make find a safe resting area, then he called a couple of the cubs to join him and have some bonding time. This picture shows that bonding. Finally the rest of the pride came and they settled down for a nap. At times we were within 30 feet of them in our open-topped vehicle. Yikes!

Time

Sunrise

Lighting

There was a grass fire burning many miles away which put some smoke in the air, making the sunrise colors muted and pink. Great Golden Hour light as well.

Equipment

Canon Mark 5D III and Canon 60D camera bodies. Canon 100-400L telephoto on one body and Canon 24-105L on the other body. My body and the top of the door served as the tripod. The vehicle had no top at all so vision was fabulous. No flash, no tripod, no beanbag. I used one camera, then the other. Both were in my lap and accessible. I knew I had plenty of battery power and media.

Inspiration

It was THERE! No question about taking as many as I could.

Editing

I always use Adobe Camera Raw to bring the RAW file into my workflow, then open in Photoshop CC. I do minimum processing in ACR because I like the flexibility of Photoshop, ON1, and Topaz software. My workflow (almost) always consists of ACR, Photoshop CC, On1 for an HDR effect if needed, Topaz Denoise AI, Topaz Sharpen AI. I didn't do anything special to this photograph because it was so perfect straight out of ACR. A little cropping, some dodge and burn, color adjustment to make it pop a little.

In my camera bag

The equipment I had on this shoot, extra batteries and media, maintenance equipment like lens cleaner and cleaning cloth and blower, remote clicker, lens hoods (always, if only to protect the lens), polarizer filters, neutral density filters. Really Right Stuff tripod and ball head. bean bag.

Feedback

Go to Botswana with Mountain Travel Sobek!

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