Today I did a little experiment and left my cameras at home. Equipped with two iPhones (Xs Max and 7+), a pair of Swarovski binoculars and an adapter to attach a phone to the binos I went onto evening safari.
And here are some of the pictures which proof that a smart phone safari can be very rewarding. If you want to know more about this you can watch my video on the topic: https://youtu.be/eLeKTRP615g
Getting close 😊2x magnification lensTrough Swarovski 8×42 Binoculars1x magnification lens3.5x zoom (crop)2 x magnification lensMe and my iPhone Xs Max 1x magnification lens1 x magnification lens
These two juvenile Lions are part of a group of six youngsters (3 females and 3 males) which have formed a new pride structure in the western part of the reserve.
Their mothers have separated themselves because they are either pregnant or have already given birth to new litters.
The two dominant males on the Thanda are not related to these youngsters. It is therefore in these young Lions’ interest – especially the males – to stay out of the way of the male coalition.
The only real constant in Lions’ family structures is the constant change!
I shot many hundreds Lion portraits over the last 19 years. This is one of my favorites. Being fully alert with open round eyes this young male posed properly for his headshot 😊
A Thanda Lion mum and one of her cubs ‘posing’ for a picture!
For the first weeks of their life their mother will look after the little ones all by herself. She will only introduce them to her pride and their dad if she is confident that they will not be hurt in the introduction process, which can be very ‘Lion’ rough.