Ann Von Pentz
November 2026 - Primal
About the Image(s)
Description
I took this photo a couple of years ago in Kenya. We came across mating lions. While I was in pretty close range, I was inside a vehicle with several others making it difficult to move around to capture the desired shot. (Fortunately, the mating ritual repeated itself a few times so I had several chances.) This image shows the male appearing to give the lioness a little “love bite” following mating. What he is actually doing is biting the nape of her neck, the way a lioness will do a kitten when she carries it, in order to trigger a passive reflex so she doesn’t harm him (!).
Post Processing
Because I wanted to emphasize intimacy, I cropped in as close as I could to show just the lions' faces. This also served to minimize all other distractions. I brightened the eyes, toned down highlights, brought up shadows, and softened and desaturated any background still showing. I then fine-tuned sharpness in Topaz Sharpen AI. Finally, I put a small vignette on the image to draw focus more inward.
Camera Information
Nikon Z9
Lens: Nikkor Z 100-400 at 240 mm
1/1250 sec at f/9.0
ISO:720
3 comments posted
Your creativity is showing! Having been to Africa several times, the second I saw your close-up, I recognized it as a mating scene. I've always felt that tight, subject-filling square crops have a way of immediately engaging the viewer, and yours certainly did that for me.
My eye went straight to the male lion's eye, which is clearly the attention grabber. And given the limitations of photographing from a crowded safari vehicle (been there, done that, got the T-shirt!), you did an excellent job capturing the moment. In fact, you had me wondering why I hadn't taken advantage of a similar opportunity myself!
My principal concern is that neither animal has a particularly compelling expression. The male's eye provides some interest, but the lioness appears passive, almost vacant, leaving the image feeling a little flat, both emotionally and tonally. A bit more contrast might improve its visual impact, but I'm not sure processing alone can provide the missing emotional connection.
Nonetheless, you've captured an interesting moment of natural behavior, and your thoughtful cropping demonstrates a good understanding of visual storytelling. Nice job!
Posted: 11/01/2026 15:38:18
The tight crop works very well in this image, excellent choice.
I would drop the shadows a tiny bit, by painting with light on the wrinkles in the face , defining the noses, the whisker lines, the black around the eyes. Creating a bit more depth on the lions.
Well done! Posted: 11/02/2026 06:18:53