The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
In a moment of mischief, a lion cub grabs his brother’s tail, halting his siblings attempt to climb a small tree. Paws pressed against the tree trunk, the cub’s determination keeps his brother from reaching higher, turning a simple climb into a game of sibling rivalry.
Specific Feedback
All feedback welcome, especially regarding composition and story-telling.
Note: because the image was created in very low light of late afternoon (note 20,000 ISO), and the colour of the shrub was similar to that of the cubs, I converted the image to monochrome to allow the cub to stand out.
Technical Details
Camera Equipment: Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 400mm f4.5 VR S Z lens. Settings: Manual mode. 1/6400 sec @ f 5.6, ISO 20000, 0 EV, @ focal length 400mm. Subject distance 15.85 m
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Garnet - a great moment captured well. very appealing look on the lion’s face.
Good choice for the B&W -
I’m not sure what the blob is below the lion’s shoulder, but it’s a bit distracting.
Nice capture!
Hi Sandy. Unfortunately this is a result of posting a low resolution image to NPN site. If you expand the image you will see that the ‘blob’ is in fact the lion cub moving its right front paw to a higher level on the tree trunk to get a better purchase on the tail. The dark parts are the pads on the bottom of the cub’s paw.
Thanks Bill. This was my first time with the Nikon Z8 and it handles high ISO (20,000), remarkably well. I never tire of spending time with rambunctious cubs as they learn their role in the pride. Sometime in the future this young cub may be holding on to the tail of a buffalo to slow it down as those in ambush position make the kill.
What a fun moment to capture. The cub almost looks like it’s grinning. I bet its brother gave it a whack later! Your choice of B and W does isolate the cub - and the tail - very well, and the composition tells the story beautifully.
This looks nice in monochrome, especially with such an effective composition creating the triangle (tree + lion parts) in the heart of the frame. Really well done, Garnet.
Thanks Mike. You are right about the aftermath of this cub’s action. There were repercussions, which fortunately were soon forgotten as a new game began.
Hi Garnet: I Iove this image! What a moment to experience and remember. The composition, optical quality, and the color balance are all perfect. Thank you for sharing this image.