I've been working on this photo for a club competition where the subject is eyes. I wanted to see if I could bring out the impact of the eyes in this shot of a lion that I took in February in Tanzania. He was actually walking toward our vehicle and I like the straight on look of supreme confidence he has. It seems he has earned that confidence, judging from his scars. I shot this at 223 mm. My ISO was 1600, with shutter speed of 1/1600. My f stop was 5.6, for some reason. I did remove some of the distracting flies that were on his face. I also wanted no green in the background, so I used the remove tool in photoshop to get rid of some green in the lower right corner. I worked quite hard at getting his face perfectly centered. Much of my attention was working on the eyes to make them pop. Suggestions are welcome, as always.
8 comments posted
Mike Cohen
My favorite subject. You did well to bring out the intensity of that stare. Very powerful. I wanted to add to that effect and put a radial tradient around the face and darkened the border. Posted: 07/06/2026 10:42:59
Tracy Kaminer
Good idea! I didn't think of that. Thank you. Posted: 07/07/2026 20:42:44
Pamela Hoaglund
WOW! I think you accomplished your goal. The eyes of the lion just draw the viewer in and makes one wonder what is on his mind. By the scars on his nose and slightly crooked nose I suspect he is the patriarch defending his kingdom. Mike's suggestion of a vignette has merit in keeping the viewer's focus centered on the eyes. Posted: 07/13/2026 02:17:36
Judith Lesnaw
Magnificent portrait. There is wisdom, courage and a hint of sadness in those eyes. I would like to get to know him. Posted: 07/16/2026 15:17:21
Polly Krauter
Wow Tracy, this is a National Geographic cover image! I think that it is perfect. Posted: 07/16/2026 20:33:53
Sharon Prislipsky
I think this is a wonderful life-like portrait of a lion. I'll bet your heart was racing as he approached. I like the tight crop...the lion is right in the face of the viewer and the work you have done on the eyes has, in my opion, paid off. I think Mike's suggestion of a slight vignette works well. To me it is well-done and I can suggest no other changes. Posted: 07/17/2026 18:31:08
Tom Brott
A wonderful image to be proud of. The eyes convey a wonderful stare and intensity as he was stalking his prey. I also like the scaring of the nose as it suggest many battles associated with survival. For your club competition I was a little concerned about the lighter area of the mane opposite the right eye. But, viewing the suggestion Mike made with the vignette that problem has been taken care of. Nice job. Posted: 07/18/2026 17:03:05
Tracy Kaminer
Thank you, everyone, for your comments on my lion. It did well in competition, I'm happy to report. Posted: 07/18/2026 17:49:38
