FORTITUDE

Rain not only seems to bring out great depth of emotion in big cats, but also offers us the opportunity to get creative with both photography settings and processing. It was interesting to watch the different reactions to rain. While some of the cubs welcomed the rain and continued their play with renewed vigour, others tried to seek shelter close to their moms. The mums in turn sought shelter where they could in the open savannah surrounded by massive black boulders. What struck us however, was this one female who seemed to be immune to all the activity around her. She stayed put and with great calm, accepted the drops of rain that fell on her like blessings from above. In the fast fading light, her silhouette, rim lit by the setting sun, underlined her fortitude and showed a stoic, solid presence against the droplets that pelted her. We photographed this image backlit against a dark background and under-exposed in camera and in processing, to tell this magnificent lion’s story through rim lighting and stark contrast. As is usually the case, we tried to get a low as possible in our vehicle to get a better point of view on the subject.