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He Reigns
He Reigns
timfythetoo


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Free Study 2007-04 (Expert Editing*)
Camera: Canon EOS-30D
Lens: Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro for Canon
Location: Columbus Zoo
Date: Apr 7, 2007
Aperture: 4.5
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/500
Galleries: Portraiture, Animals
Date Uploaded: Apr 7, 2007

 This day I caught some of the best images of our lion at the COlumbus ZOo. The right light, the right distance for not only my lens to be used at its peak sharpness but also the right distance to make the bars invisible, the right poses and looks and my kids were behaving. Tigers tend to be more my thing but this is by far my favorite zoo animal image to date.

This is cropped from a larger image, tonemapped in Photomatix, a variety of tools and layers including - levels, hue/sat, selective color, high pass, NI, gradient map, radial gradient, gaussian blur, plenty of dodging and burning. I utilized cloning to balance out his mane - the left side was a little light so I cloned it a bit bigger. Resize, USM and border. I do believe that this would pass advanced edit muster, no real expert editing techniques that I can think of. Glad that this utilizes the 720pixel/200kb max. And I must say that this even rocks in thumbnail.

My wife forecasts at least a low 7. I think it should do that well too. Which means I will end up with a high 5 or very low 6.

Post Challenge - Top 10 in a Free Study - whooh hooh! I had really hoped to hang on to the 7. Kept blipping back and forth the last day or two. Whatcha gonna do. Thanks to everyone for the massive view count in challenge.

Statistics
Place: 10 out of 573
Avg (all users): 6.9405
Avg (commenters): 8.3333
Avg (participants): 6.8016
Avg (non-participants): 7.2373
Views since voting: 19600
Views during voting: 475
Votes: 185
Comments: 40
Favorites: 18 (view)

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AuthorThread
 04/15/2008 12:04:06 PM
Tim - I don't know how I haven't seen this before - Magnificent picture !!

You see this is the reason that I go surfing through other peoples favourite shots - it turns up all sorts of things that they've noticed and I haven't :- )



Message edited by author 2008-04-15 16:05:46.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2007 11:52:12 AM
Very noble looking shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/01/2007 03:12:29 PM
WOW. I hope you have a huge copy of this hanging in your office!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/12/2007 05:52:17 PM
A great presentation with detail golare and most important the essence of this proud creature. Congratulations on your top 10 finish.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/10/2007 03:12:43 PM
It is one of the most stunning images of the male lion that I have seen ...I just can't find the words to say how it moves me. Yes,indeed, it "rocks"
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/10/2007 09:23:31 AM
Wow! Spectacularly impressive! Regards jnconradie
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/09/2007 08:11:48 PM
Excellent Job, I thought maybe this was you. OK now we have to talk because I have been here and not only are there bars but there is a screen. I have been wondering how you get around the screen as well. Keep up the excellent work. I think us Ohioians need to organize a DPC Ohio get together sometime. Seems I keep finding more of us here.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2007 07:31:25 PM
Wooo... that's intense! Could stand a bit more saturation, but definitely a framer. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2007 05:10:46 PM
Way to go Tim!!! Awesome job on a very tough callenge! One of my fav's! Congratulations on the top 10!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2007 05:00:02 PM
Wow! Just WOW.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2007 02:19:21 PM
I really love this shot, stunning. Congrat's on your top 10. Adding to my fav's.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2007 09:19:04 AM
Great photo, great title. congratulations on your top ten finish!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2007 07:30:21 AM
What a stunning lion image. You did a great job here, Tim. Congratulations on top 10.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2007 06:24:04 AM
Awesome shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2007 05:22:31 AM
Congratulations on your top ten I love this. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2007 04:21:51 AM
Wow! This is so incredible! Lion pictures when done right are the most beautiful photograph possible! And of course this one is done better than right! Congratulations on such an awesome placing in this amazing challenge.

  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2007 02:45:03 AM
Majestic! The Lion of the tribe of Judah shall break every chain!
Go Tim! This is superb and a worthy top 10 or better. WOW! adding to faves now. I didn't get to vote on all the images, so I am glad you got to be top 10. I would have given this a 10...would it be enough to get you over 7??? who knows! it's too late for maths
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2007 02:23:52 AM
Spectacular image, congrats on your top ten, well deserved.

Jack
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2007 02:00:05 AM
Congrats on 10th! Very nice!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2007 08:57:26 PM
Congrats on your top ten!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2007 08:51:47 PM
I said, "Bravo" before and I repeat. Actually not to steal any of your thunder, but perhaps he is the papa of my lion adolescent who so dutifully gave me the stare down too! I couldn't help but think of the similar look.

  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2007 08:45:53 PM
WoW! One of the Best Lion Images I have ever seen
Great work
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2007 08:36:29 PM
so cool
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2007 08:18:26 PM
Greetings from the Critique Club!

What a striking image! When I clicked the critique button and this appeared on my screen, my first thought was "wow... definitely a top 10." Then I scrolled down and saw I was right.

I really like the way this image fades to black around the perimiter. The relatively shallow DoF, with focus on the face, help keep the viewer focused on the image as well. These combined with the lion's intense stare make this photo absolutely captivating. I'm actually not bothered by the fact that the focus is on the nose and whiskers rather than the eyes, but I wonder if I'd feel there were something "extra" there if the focus were on the eyes as well.

Congratulations on an excellent image, and a well-deserved top 10 finish in a very competitive field.

~Terry
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
05/07/2007 07:21:25 PM
The king! Great shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2007 06:42:19 PM
lots of emotion here, nicely captured
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2007 05:47:24 PM
Feeling a little blase about lion head shots, but I do love the grizzled chin on this fella.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2007 01:02:02 PM
Very direct and effective centered composition, great detail and tonal range for a mostly uniformly-colored subject.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/06/2007 02:51:17 AM
Powerful!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/04/2007 10:41:29 PM
I like the POV! Good detail. Great job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/03/2007 09:03:18 AM
Centred works!!! ~9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2007 05:57:54 PM
Beautiful
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2007 09:32:24 AM
nice work
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2007 05:24:03 AM
Majestic...awesome photo. Since I doubt he visited your studio I think you did some incredible processing. My favorite so far.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2007 03:48:22 PM
Nice very nice.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2007 12:13:45 PM
"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2007 11:12:35 AM
I really, really like this. I'd LOVE it if his eyes were sharp. Looks like the focal point fell on the nose. Nice job of PP on this. Good luck in the challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2007 10:47:57 AM
absolutely beautiful! Great color
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2007 09:56:16 AM
Amazingly beautiful
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/30/2007 08:34:25 PM
Bravo
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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