24 July 2011
This morning certainly had a crispness about it when we set out before dawn. Low lying mist lay like a blanket over any open water and the yellow grass was edged with the white crystals of frost. The lion tracks appeared after a few hundred meters and as they were going my way I decided to follow. The tracks kept appearing and dissapearing as I drove down the road but they were generally heading in the right direction. The floodplains opened up in front of me and a movement in the grass led me to the sleeping lions. After a few yawns and not much happening I decided it was almost time to move on, the lions were settling in for the day, or so it seemed. As I was pulling away a single lioness got up and moved off towards the water. I decided to "go for broke" and continued to drive but this time I went around the water, hoping that there was a small chance that they might cross the shallow floodplain. My hunch paid off and in the icy cold water the cubs decided it was time to play. The challenge was the low light, very soft and warm, and keeping track of where the next bit of action was likely to take place. As the action was mostly coming straight at me I didn't need as much speed to freeze any action, so I opted for better quality with a lower ISO and took my chances.........
