Brittany Evins, Stained Red (ANIMAL & NATURE 2024)

This pride of lions had just hunted and killed a zebra. The two lionesses were still recovering from their kill, while their cubs slept and played, their red stained faces giving away the fact they had already been feeding. I used framing and natural light as the key ingredients in each of these photos to create depth and interest. Moving my position and crouching as low as possible, I created the perfect tunnel with trees to frame the single lion cub. Similarly with the lioness, I framed the photo so the natural light hit her face, and in particular, her eye to bring out its yellow tones, as she rested. This was the first moment I had seen her relax her head with her eyes open, after watching her for five minutes panting. I used the natural framing of the bushes in the foreground of the cubs playing to create interest and depth in the photo, with the light natural light creating tonal intricacies. The blur of motion with the slow shutter speed, captures the reaction of the cub that is being bitten, a technique that adds to the character and playfulness of the photo.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.