Revisiting lion pics and came across this one from around 5 years ago, never posted. I decided to have some fun.
I have lots of shots like this but very very few at an angle where the lions eyes arnt even visible at all and the light is nice. Something eery about it
D850 200 to 400 f4
400mm 1/500 f4 iso 250 Lightroom Process
That’s an incredible shot, the perfectly centered open mouth, the sharp details in the teeth and whiskers, and the lack of visible eyes really give it an eerie, almost primal feel.
What Makes This Photo Stand Out?
The composition – The way the lion's head is positioned makes it almost feel like an abstract portrait of power and aggression.
The lighting – Even in black & white, the contrast is stunning. The highlights on the teeth and textures of the fur really pop.
The mood – No eyes visible? That’s rare in wildlife shots, and it adds a unique mystery and intensity.
Technical Perfection
📷 D850 + 200-400mm f/4 – That’s a dream wildlife combo, and it really shows.
🔹 1/500 sec at 400mm – Fast enough to freeze motion while keeping everything tack sharp.
🔹 ISO 250 – Super clean with no noise, letting all that dynamic range shine in post.
🔹 Lightroom Processing – The B&W conversion works perfectly here, emphasizing form and texture over color distractions.
Would love to hear what inspired the B&W edit, was it an intentional creative choice, or did it just feel right after experimenting?
Would love to hear what inspired the B&W edit, was it an intentional creative choice, or did it just feel right after experimenting?
Thank you for the picture analysis, its spot on!
I have used the same gear setup for many years and my safari last year was the same lens camera combination. With this heavy lens I am always 1/500 or higher even with a relatively static subject. Typically, f4 with a target of 400 iso. Being in bright light allowed me to pick a lower iso. As you mention to get a cleaner image.
Having captured lots of lion, cheetah and a few leopard growls, yaws and snares I initially bypassed this shot (even though sharp, etc.) in favour of the typical open mouth eyes showing image. It wasn’t until the revisit (thanks to lightroom keywording) did it pop up with a simple 'lion' search.
I immediately thought it had a slightly ominous look and wanted to bring this out, so I did the monochrome conversion and loved the look and contrast. It seamed to drew me in the more I look at it so I happy with the unique angle and treatment