Before you ask, I did leave my vehicle to take this shot; I had to as it was taken with my Sigma 10-20mm. Ever since I took the Vancouver workshop with Bryan Peterson, I’ve loved using this lens. The secret I learnt is that you need to be right on top of your foreground subject so that the storytelling advantage of this wide lens is maximized. In this case I was just a few centimeters (about an inch) from the sign.
The park had many of these signs around but we didn’t spot any lions. It was the hottest time of the day so it was to be expected but I think this image also says much about the dwindling lion population in Africa estimated to be around only 20,000 in total. There are a number of ongoing initiatives and research projects such as the Zimbabwe Big Cat Project and the National Geographic Big Cat Initiative. Check them out and see how you can help!
Sabrina,
Thanks for the links. I was a huge fan of Big Cat Diary on BBC2 while I grew up in the UK. Thanks for putting that out there. Have a great time in Africa!
Ed
Thanks for dropping by Ed…it’s nice to see you here. I hope to have more “big cat” posts very soon.
Very nice angle….have you seen any big cats yet?
Thanks John…coming from you, that’s quite the compliment
I posted a quickie tweet for you (and others) of my first glimpse of a cheetah. Keep you eyes open for the next post!