Predators

This shot is so precious, and it made me stop to think about predators as a whole. It is wild how this cute little guy will grow up to be such a magnificent, capable predator! I enjoy the dichotomy here between such an adorable photo and the underlying fact that the subject is indeed a portrait of one of the earth's most successful predators. I love the soft light, the captured eye contact and expression, and the eye-level portraiture which is crucial in wildlife photography. Great shot!

The front-facing eyes of a predator are one of the most striking traits of this classification of wildlife. Here you see this captivating gaze- leveled at something unknown, offscreen, but the intensity is apparent. The character of this lion as a subject is absolutely gorgeous, I love the scars criss-crossing his face, fed on opportunistically by flies. These pesky insects add another dimension to the image as well, movement against such a stoic face. I think this is an excellent portrait of a male lion, a gorgeous capture that represents the intensity of a predator well. That gaze instinctually moves us, from a time long forgotten when this was one of our natural predators.

The hunter becomes the hunted! This is a crazy image of predation- what an unimaginable, alien world insects live in. Seeing the jumping spider speared directly through the head- what a way to go! Beyond just being an incredible behavioral shot of something most people will never see- this image is beautifully done, sharp, well composed, and I love the greens of the background contrasting with the multifaceted bodies of the subjects. Excellent work here!