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Weng

My Mummy

Lion cub snuggling up to mummy after suckling

Lion cub snuggling up to mummy after suckling
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Canon EOS 7D

settings

Aperture f/4.5 ISO 100 Shutter 1/320 Focal Length 500/1

upload_date

Aug, 2015

Views

462

Likes

+61

Awards

Top Shot Award 21

Contest Finalist in Wildlife Families Photo Contest

Superb Composition

+19

Top Choice

+12

Outstanding Creativity

Peer Award

Absolute Masterpiece

Magnificent Capture

All Star

Superior Skill

Top Ranks

Top 30 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 30 rank

Top 30 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

My wife & I went on a tour of the safari parks in Tanzania, and here in the Serengeti, we found many lions. I asked our driver/guide when and where I could photograph lion cubs, and he said "Come back in May", and recommended the central region of the Serengeti. So the following year, we booked the same driver/guide and two weeks in central Serengeti. True to his recommendation, we found our lion cubs. This one was securely nestled in a kopje - a stone outcrop.

Time

It was off season so we had the two lionesses and three cubs all to ourselves. It was midday, and both the adults were asleep. We sat quietly with them and nibbled at our packed lunch while the cubs played and suckled. After a couple of hours, the mother woke to pose for this beautiful scene with one well satisfied cub nestled up to her.

Lighting

It was around two in the afternoon. The sun was still too high for a good photo, but rain clouds saved the day and softened the otherwise very harsh light.

Equipment

I chose to use my Canon EF500mm f4L with a 7D for this shot as I needed the 1.6x crop to get a tighter shot. For support, I used a beanbag filled with micro polystyrene beads.

Inspiration

I am always trying to engage more people without an interest in wildlife with my photography, and I know the 'aah' factor a baby lion would get

Editing

The scene simply speaks for itself, so a bit of judicious cropping in Lightroom was all that was required

In my camera bag

My other camera was a Canon 1D mkIV with a Canon EF100-400mm. So along with the 7D and EF500mm, it all added up to more weight than my flight ticket would allow. Luckily, I had my wife to take up some of the excess baggage. Many of you will wonder about wider angle shots. For that, I used my mobile phone!

Feedback

As already mentioned, I worked out where and when was best to photograph the lion cubs. Then I allowed 10 whole days (excluding travelling) in central Serengeti. I also chose the lodge closest to the area in which I wanted to work. My wife and I had a private jeep with driver/guide. This is important as it meant we could wait with the lions until they became active.

See more amazing photos, follow Weng

Weng

Weng

My Mummy

Lion cub snuggling up to mummy after suckling

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow Weng

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