Mariana Kruger
October 2026 - Playfulness
About the Image(s)
I took this photo in the middle of our winter 15th of June, it was freezingly cold. They dropped my husband and myself off at the hide (which I uderstand you call a blind in the States), at 3:30 PM with some provisions and they typically pick you up at about 9 AM the next morning so you can maximise the soft light and minimise human noise or smells.
We were fortunate to see a pride of lions came to drink at the waterhole. The pride only arrived 5:49 AM, an hour before sunrise. The youghsters in the pride were really silly and very playful, creating great interaction (as long as they were not moving to fast ) but the youngsters also only joined after Mom had her fill and made sure the waterhole was safe. The whole experience was only 10 minutes before they left. We were a couple of minutes in before I realised I was taking photos but holding my breath :)
Settings:
Nikon D5
70-200mm (shot at 34mm)
F2.8
!/800 sec
ISO 6400
17 comments posted
Welcome to the group! Well, you certainly made a grand entrance with this submission. The image is certainly impactful! I will enter my full comment when I get back from an appointment but for right now I've got several quick questions. First, OMG! I immediately noticed the SIZE of that paw! While the cubs may be "playful" that paw tells the real story of the raw power that these playful cubs truly possess. Secondly, what was the light source you utilized? And third. you stated you used a 70-200mm lens, but shot at 34mm. Would you clarify that? Thanks. Posted: 10/05/2026 16:27:59
Hi Larry, aah yes those paws are already enormous! I should have added that there where two lights, one on either side of the waterhole.
Flash photography is not allowed to minimize impact to the animals. It is an underground hide/blind so you sit at the edge of the waterhole at eye level. The waterhole is about 4 m by 3 m and you sit right next to the water which might be 10cm away.
The lens I used was 24 to 70 mm and the photo was shot at 34mm Posted: 10/07/2026 06:47:18
Flash photography is not allowed to minimize impact to the animals. It is an underground hide/blind so you sit at the edge of the waterhole at eye level. The waterhole is about 4 m by 3 m and you sit right next to the water which might be 10cm away.
The lens I used was 24 to 70 mm and the photo was shot at 34mm Posted: 10/07/2026 06:47:18
First and foremost I feel the image delivers a powerful dose of impact and most of the impact is derived from the sharp contrast between the dense black background and warm colored coats of the cubs. The image appears simplistic in that it contains only a few elements. The technical merit of the image is quite strong with an accurate exposure and "wicked" sharpness. I do wonder how much, if any, you increased the texture to obtain the sharp detail in the cubs coats. I would also be interested to learn if that dense, featureless, black background was artificially darkened to remove any detail or if there was simply nothing there. I feel there are two story lines present, one being the playful nature of the cubs (how old might they be) and the other being the wary nature of the cats who have their gaze fixed on something not shown in the image. The image is nicely balanced by the included reflection. At least for me the one thing I will not soon forget is the massive size of that raised paw. While children can be "cute", even adorable, that paw brings to mind the awesome power and ferocity these juveniles will soon develop. It is a magical image for sure. Posted: 10/05/2026 19:43:50
Thanks so much Larry, I must admit I do like my cats and as lions typically sleep 15 - 18 hours a day, so it is great to see interaction.
As you shoot in the bush with just the two weak yellow lights, the RAW photo is naturally dark in the background and you end up with a dark background and the animals standing out. No artificial lights for a couple of kilometers. So with this photo I did not darken the background.
I did however increase exposure with +1 and then drop the highlights on the lions a tiny bit (-3) and deepen shadows -8 as their white bellies can be overpowering but you want to make sure you see the spots baby lions have and outgrow. Up Temperature and Sat a tiny bit just to make it pop a bit more. Up Clarity +8 and Contrast +5 a bit.
Posted: 10/07/2026 07:06:38
As you shoot in the bush with just the two weak yellow lights, the RAW photo is naturally dark in the background and you end up with a dark background and the animals standing out. No artificial lights for a couple of kilometers. So with this photo I did not darken the background.
I did however increase exposure with +1 and then drop the highlights on the lions a tiny bit (-3) and deepen shadows -8 as their white bellies can be overpowering but you want to make sure you see the spots baby lions have and outgrow. Up Temperature and Sat a tiny bit just to make it pop a bit more. Up Clarity +8 and Contrast +5 a bit.
Posted: 10/07/2026 07:06:38
Welcome aboard Marianna - you given us a dynamite image to review. The positives are immediate impact, warm light on the subject, outstanding sharpness and detail, nighttime reflections always bring interest, and you've captured a playful interaction - impact, visual interest and a story - not too shabby for your first go :-).
In my VF I trimmed a bit of dead space on the right and opened the shadows so we can see the tips of each cubs' tail.
Posted: 10/06/2026 12:59:07
In my VF I trimmed a bit of dead space on the right and opened the shadows so we can see the tips of each cubs' tail.
Posted: 10/06/2026 12:59:07
Thanks Butch, yes cropping in front and lifting the shadows to see detail in the tails is even better :) Posted: 10/07/2026 07:07:57
You are more than welcome - this is such a terrific shot, can you email me at bmazz68@icloud.com I'd like to ask you something about the image - thanks :-) Posted: 10/07/2026 12:41:13
Hi Mariana,
Welcome to our group! You "onboarded" with a gorgeous image of these two playful lion cubs. I love the contrast of the golden tones against the black night, the detail you captured in the fur and the beautiful reflection in the water. What keeps me looking at this photo though is the raised paw. The paw appears to be reaching for rather than playfully swatting at his friend. Why? What is it that stops the action? What are they staring at? These questions make me take pause. My biggest concern is the cropped tail in the reflection (if you have it available, I would included it.) Nice job staying awake to get this image ...definitely worth it! Posted: 10/11/2026 04:07:16
Welcome to our group! You "onboarded" with a gorgeous image of these two playful lion cubs. I love the contrast of the golden tones against the black night, the detail you captured in the fur and the beautiful reflection in the water. What keeps me looking at this photo though is the raised paw. The paw appears to be reaching for rather than playfully swatting at his friend. Why? What is it that stops the action? What are they staring at? These questions make me take pause. My biggest concern is the cropped tail in the reflection (if you have it available, I would included it.) Nice job staying awake to get this image ...definitely worth it! Posted: 10/11/2026 04:07:16
Thanks so much Ann, I will go and work on that tail :) Posted: 10/14/2026 12:00:00
Mariana,
I'm also delighted to have you in the group! What a great opening shot! Like the others in our group I'm blown away with the sharpness of this image and what a great reflection you got. I think you got the playfulness of these two cubs! These woukd appear to be older cubs than I've seen. Even though the two cubs are not separated, I think it still works very well. Thanks for sharing! Posted: 10/17/2026 22:41:00
I'm also delighted to have you in the group! What a great opening shot! Like the others in our group I'm blown away with the sharpness of this image and what a great reflection you got. I think you got the playfulness of these two cubs! These woukd appear to be older cubs than I've seen. Even though the two cubs are not separated, I think it still works very well. Thanks for sharing! Posted: 10/17/2026 22:41:00
Thanks David, really looking forward to the journey with everyone in the group
Posted: 10/18/2026 04:45:36
Posted: 10/18/2026 04:45:36
Mariana,
I'm also delighted to have you in the group! What a great opening shot! Like the others in our group I'm blown away with the sharpness of this image and what a great reflection you got. I think you got the playfulness of these two cubs! These woukd appear to be older cubs than I've seen. Even though the two cubs are not separated, I think it still works very well. Thanks for sharing! Posted: 10/18/2026 12:16:52
I'm also delighted to have you in the group! What a great opening shot! Like the others in our group I'm blown away with the sharpness of this image and what a great reflection you got. I think you got the playfulness of these two cubs! These woukd appear to be older cubs than I've seen. Even though the two cubs are not separated, I think it still works very well. Thanks for sharing! Posted: 10/18/2026 12:16:52
Thanks for the warm welcome David! I am really looking forward to my journey with the group. Posted: 10/26/2026 07:50:19
Welcome to the group, Mariana!
What an incredible image, and experience to have with these cubs. Well worth spending the night in the hide. The moment you've captured is so appealing, I like the way Ann described it with the questions that keep you engaged. The light is also at good angles for them, the faces and that paw are well illuminated but there's enough shadow on the body to create some sense of depth and dimension in the cats.
I don't mind the tail tips fading in to the black background. Bringing out the detail looks unnatural to me as it's too gray.
Is this in Botswana?
Again, welcome.
Posted: 10/21/2026 18:08:04
What an incredible image, and experience to have with these cubs. Well worth spending the night in the hide. The moment you've captured is so appealing, I like the way Ann described it with the questions that keep you engaged. The light is also at good angles for them, the faces and that paw are well illuminated but there's enough shadow on the body to create some sense of depth and dimension in the cats.
I don't mind the tail tips fading in to the black background. Bringing out the detail looks unnatural to me as it's too gray.
Is this in Botswana?
Again, welcome.
Posted: 10/21/2026 18:08:04
Thanks Cindy. I took this photo at Zimanga, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. Posted: 10/26/2026 07:51:40
What a winner! Not much to say about this one except: orange cats, there is always one that's a pest. Posted: 10/21/2026 21:44:19
Thanks Donald. That is so true I have this little ginger stray that just pitch up hungry and injured in my kitchen one Christmas, 9 years later and the menace is now sleeping on my bed every night and rules the house. We named him Caesar, very appropriate! Posted: 10/26/2026 07:54:51