My last South Africa photos: Male Lions

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you to everyone for making it so enjoyable to share photos from my recent trip to South Africa. Now in our 31st year of travel, my wife and I are still pinching ourselves daily to be sure that this fabulous vacation that ended more than a month ago -- our favorite -- truly was a reality.

These four photos are my last to be shared from the trip. It's fitting that the final photos are of such iconic figures as male lions. All of them were captured in Madikwe Game Reserve.


Photo #1



Photo #2



Photo #3



Photo #4

[deetheturk]

Superb captures once again Mike,well done!

[Brownbear]

And thank you for sharing all these beautiful images with us. You're a very talented photographer.

This set is also one of my favourites, and I think #3 is my favourite (for the comp and DOF) followed closely by #1 and I will likely change my mind about that... ie; hard to choose.

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you, Christina and David!

[jprzybyla]

Great captures of a magnificent creature. Nice to see them in the wild. I can only wish and dream, good work Mike.

[Downrigger]

Terrific, all. Three is mystical to me, the rearground image as though an alter ego of the foreground.

[terrib]

Superb job, Mike. For most of us, this is a rare opportunity. It's good you waited for your photography skills to develop to such a high level before making this trip. Well, maybe you've always been this good.

I especially like the 2nd and 3rd shots. The 2nd for it's composition showing it's environment. The 3rd for the great composition, use of the light and DOF. Wonderful!

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you to Joe, Mark and Terri!

It's good you waited for your photography skills to develop

The irony is that I would never have gone on safari if it hadn't been that my wife wanted to do it. Now that we have done it, I bow down to her every day for making it happen. Sometimes you simply get lucky and I got very lucky on many, many levels.

[Donald]

Sometimes you simply get lucky and I got very lucky on many, many levels.

In photographic terms, it is, however, the case that the more you practice and learn, the luckier you get!

We can surmise that the casual 'holiday' snapper doing this trip might have got one or two quality images. But when you come home with a portfolio like the one you have shown us in this series of threads, then that's just skill (on the part of both Mr & Mrs B).

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you, Donald.

By the way, you too got lucky when you referred to my wife as Mrs. B. Her last name happens to be Brassfield. When we met 32 years ago, there was a television show called "The A Team." So, we started calling our selves the B Team and have ever since.

[GrahamS]

Superb photographs, Mike. Bravo again. The second shot is particularly striking. I tip my hat to you, sir!

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you, Graham. Much appreciated.

[Loose Canon]

Excellent set Mike as usual!

I’m kind of partial to #3 myself too.

So how did you get Mrs. B to go over there to hold the reflector to get that awesome short-side lighting on that shot?

[rpcrowe]

Great Captures Mike,
I have never desired to go to Africa but, your images are changing my mind...

[John 2]

Great set and it's no.3 for me as well. I cannot but echo Donald's comments.

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you to everyone for the nice comments!

[Hui Song]

I like the second one. The little bit surrounding wild environment makes the lion come alive.

[FlyingSquirrel]

Fantastic shots, Mike, a fitting close to your series. #1 works best for me. Given the minimal colors and interesting patterns/textures, I could see #1 in monochrome perhaps (carefully edited to introduce contrast where appropriate). Well done, and it's true what everyone says: You are a superb photographer and editor.

EDIT: I just did a quick B/W version of #1 because I was so curious how it would look. It looks awesome.

[Mike Buckley]

Just when I thought sure that this thread had died, all of you folks revived it. Thank you!

Matt,

I actually didn't create a black-and-white version of the first one simply because I knew my wife would prefer the warm tones of the color version. After seeing your comment, I created one. I showed it to my wife and everything went exactly as I expected. You and I are right and she's wrong ; the black-and-white one is better. I'll be sure to upload it once they get the TinyPic kinks worked out.

[FlyingSquirrel]

the black-and-white one is better. I'll be sure to upload it once they get the TinyPic kinks worked out.

I look forward to seeing your b/w version (and am curious what changes you made, and if it looks anything at all like mine )