Ruth Sprain
July 2026 - Lioness by Stream
Original
About the Image(s)
I took this photo in Kruger National Park, South Africa in late May. We spotted this female lion walking to a stream to get a drink. After she drank, she paused to look back in our direction, which is when I took this photo. My Canon EOS R6 was set at 745mm, f/16, 1/640. I used a 200-400 lens with a 2X extender, handheld. In Lightroom and PhotoShop, I cropped, adjusted contrast, used the clone tool to remove a blurred branch in the foreground, and added a slight vignette. I'd appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.
11 comments posted
Ruth, I like your edits on this image of the lioness. She looks like she's ready for you to pet her! You captured the glint in her eye and she is very sharp. Nice work cloning out the blurred branch too. Just my personal preference but I find the crop is a bit tight on the left. Nice wildlife photo. Posted: 07/05/2026 20:22:33
Mary Ann, thanks for your comments. I agree that the cropping on the left side is rather tight. I probably wanted to avoid needing to clone out the blurred branch of the left. Posted: 07/09/2026 19:26:04
Ruth, what a great shot. You captured the relaxed body of this lioness. She has a soft eye and a look that could fool you into thinking she might sit beside you and purr as you stroke her head. I like that you took the branch out of the image which would have been distracting to the final image. Posted: 07/06/2026 01:49:47
Thanks for your comments, Cindy. This lioness was indeed relaxed. She proceeded to roll onto her back, exposing her stomach. Then she rolled back and licked the fur on her back. It was an amazing moment to watch this type of relaxed, spontaneous grooming, before she strode away to keep hunting. Posted: 07/09/2026 19:29:18
Ruth, thanks for sharing this photo. The lioness is calming staring back at you. Good job cloning out the distractions. Posted: 07/09/2026 23:46:17
Hi Ruth,
You've nailed the composition, exposure, sharpness in this image. For the lioness, I'd prefer to see her roaring to add the impressive strength of the wild animal and more impact to the image. Thanks for sharing your nice shot! Posted: 07/12/2026 18:04:03
You've nailed the composition, exposure, sharpness in this image. For the lioness, I'd prefer to see her roaring to add the impressive strength of the wild animal and more impact to the image. Thanks for sharing your nice shot! Posted: 07/12/2026 18:04:03
Kieu-Hanh, I actually have a separate photo of this same lion roaring. She stayed by the river for a couple minutes in various positions. Posted: 07/12/2026 22:30:01
Ruth,
I am jealous of you trip to Africa. We never make it there.
The lioness does look calm and relaxed and had not idea she was such great subject for photographers in the distance. I have a question: Do lions, or at least lionesses turn gray on their had with age? Like dogs do. She has a whitish face and I was jut wondering. Posted: 07/15/2026 19:52:02
I am jealous of you trip to Africa. We never make it there.
The lioness does look calm and relaxed and had not idea she was such great subject for photographers in the distance. I have a question: Do lions, or at least lionesses turn gray on their had with age? Like dogs do. She has a whitish face and I was jut wondering. Posted: 07/15/2026 19:52:02
Joan, you pose an interesting question about whether lions grow lighter with age. According to the internet, lions darken with age and develop more mottled or greyish fur. so my guess is that this lioness is not real old, but in her prime as a hunter. Posted: 07/20/2026 00:41:13
Ruth, very nice shot and good choices in processing. The color tones are sharp and there is detail in her coat. Great work at 745mm. Well done. Posted: 07/16/2026 15:41:58
Andres, I am so fortunate to have used the long lens that I did. It was light enough to hold steady with ease. Plus, it caught details even though some of the animals were a distance away. Posted: 07/20/2026 00:42:52