The Lion of Zimanga
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- čas přidán 1. 07. 2024
- This is the story behind the portrait of a young male lion, photographed at the Zimanga Private Game Reserve in Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal.
10 limited edition prints of this image are available to purchase at my prints store:
prints.michaelpotts.com/produ...
I've been watching you at LaLande for years. I knew you had to be a pretty great photographer considering that you do it as a job, but watching this video I was absolutely blown away at the magnitude of your talent. Incredibly impressed, Michael.
Thank you so so much! That is so lovely to read. Thank you!
So well said!
Michael you are just so talented! Master bread maker, attic pigeon removal, and photographer extraordinaire! Absolutely stunning photos and I really enjoyed the story behind the pictures. 💜
Thank you so much!
Michael your photos are simply stunning. Thank you for bringing these photos to life through your stories. On a different note, I also so enjoy you in your visits to LeLande and your sense of humor.
Thank you Cindy! Hope to see you there again soon :)
Thank you so much for taking me to a sanctuary for birds that are protected from the pressure of humanity. That was best part. Please let them know what a great thing they have done. I've been loving your talents since I found LaLande, you bring a joyful noise to the world Michael. 🤗❤️🌈🕊️
Thank you Diana. There are some really great conservation models coming out of South Africa. Projects that not only protect wildlife but also invest in the local communities. Hopefully these can be replicated in other parts of the continent.
This really made me miss South Africa’s game reserves. Spent my childhood and early adult life in the game parks. Now a Texan. This was a brilliant episode.
Thank you so much Nicolette. There is always something so magical about being in the bush. I hope you can visit again soon.
I love hearing stories behind photos, and I also appreciated the technical details you shared. What an iconic photo!
Thank you so much!
Lovely and calming videography. Congratulations and best wishes for this new and soon to be well-acclaimed CZcams channel
Thank you so much!
I predict that this is going to be a very popular channel, Michael. It will appeal to travellers looking for particularly interesting experiences, it will appeal to the casual photographers because it will give them ideas for improving their results and of course to the more serious photographers who have the fancy equipment. You have a winner. I am also a subscriber and patron to Chateau Diaries and enjoy your cooking exploits on that channel very much.. 🇨🇦
Thank you so much Susan! That is really encouraging. I'm glad you are enjoying the Diaries too!
Love love love your photography Michael!! As an artist who studies big cat conservation and loves Africa, your new channel has made me ( and I’m certain many many others) so happy! Thankyou..🦁🧡💫
Thank you so much, that is great to hear!
I love this informative and well crafted video. Your wildlife photography is splendid, I wouldn’t expect anything else. Thank you.
Thank you! That is great to hear!
Michael Potts, you are a gem. The birds featured had such character that I wanted to know their names!The information shared re that magnificent young lion was so generous an aid for those who study photography. Thank you for providing such wonderful entertainment. 🎉
Stunning image, among a gorgeous collection of stunning images. I am a huge fan of your photography so any picture you took will have a story. For example, do you remember the photo you took at La Lande where everyone wrote the letters with sparklers? Genius idea and very creative.
Thank you! It is probably time to do another one of those, maybe at Christmas now the courtyard has changed so much!
Gorgeous photographs all round, but the end result of the lion portrait; GORGEOUS. I am not a photographer, but I am an artist, and above all, really love beauty, and that photograph was beautiful and so well balanced - also SO artistically done. Always happy to see you at home in Le Lande too. Thank you for this.
Thank you so much!
I really enjoyed the lion photo with you explaining all the little details. Please do more!! Great job!!
Thank you Annie. I was planning on doing the next one on Amsterdam
I really enjoyed the way you told the story of your finished photo by giving the backstory and by sharing what you did to the original photo to achieve the amazing finished product. Looking forward to more of your stories! Also, you have a very pleasant voice that is delightful to listen to! 😊
I agree, think I will love your new channel
Thank you!
Thank you so much. That is so lovely to hear!
Really enjoyed this Michael. I liked hearing not just the steps involved in your post processing but also why you chose the steps and your thoughts behind the edits . There are plenty of photo editing type channels but they don't often tell the whole story behind the photo so I think your new channel definitely fills a gap. Knowing the story before understanding of your vision . I also loved the photos of the zebra. Beautiful shots.
Thank you! I'm glad you like it - it is a bit of a balancing act - not getting too deep into the technical side but still being interesting to viewers.
@@MichaelPotts-Photography by the way I saw you were staying in Menton for the Monaco f1 and I've also booked there so I'm glad you think it's a good location . We are coming from New Zealand for an epic month long trip through France which was completely timed around our husbands love of motorsports but I'm afraid I've hijacked the trip a bit!!
Give me a shout when you are there! It should be a great race!
@@MichaelPotts-Photography I will!! We are arriving on the Wednesday . We will be in Lake Como the weekend before..I guess you will be at the track at Imola
There is a classic car concourse at some Villas in Cernobbio during that weekend so we are doing that as compensation for the car lovers who missed out on tickets at Le Mans near the end of the trip..
I am not a photographer but watching you talk about how you do your shots and especially how they are just the beginning and the picture is a result of your creative choices makes it far more interesting to me. I guess I always thought well some people have a good eye and can see a good shot to take, never realizing so much could be done to alter it afterwards. So before watching I am sure I would have thought I would be bored silly over Fstops and ISOs and the like but you are showing me it's far more about using your tools to create, and not just capturing.
Michael you are a true artist. I am sure this channel will be a big success. I so enjoyed seeing your photos and the stories behind them. As far as suggestions for content, I would love to see pictures from your travels, architecture, landscapes, animals and people. Basically I would be happy to see any pictures and stories that you would like to share. You are a true Renaissance Man! Photographer extraordinaire, chef, baker, dancer and pigeon handler.
Thank you so much. I fear my pigeon handling skills need improving.
I love this concept of talking art. Typically we enjoy art by trying to interpret what the artist was wanting to show their audience. I loved the background story of shooting location, a sampling of other shots, your pre and post shoot/edit to get the shot. Just a great great concept for a great channel. I wish you much success with your channel.
Thank you so much! I hope it is a little bit different.
Loved this, the stories really make the photograph come alive, looking forward to the next one 🦁
Thank you so much!!!
Beautifully done! Educational details so expanding and interesting! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much!!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful image! It was fascinating to vicariously go to Africa and see and hear the story and process behind the photograph.Thank you Michael 💖 from Australia xx
Thank you so much Lou Lou!
Great idea for a new channel especially since I'm not a formula 1 fan plus I loved the story about how you built the lion photo! ❤ Thanks and Congratulations!
Thank you! Hopefully this will have a lot more variety :)
Beautiful! What an amazing visit to a wonderful park. Thank you for sharing! Loved all the photos. ❤
Thank you Kerri - glad you liked it
Fantastic! Love this concept of telling the story behind the photograph! So interesting, stunning, informative and indeed, educational! Look forward to the next one!!
Thank you so much Kerry!
Oh Michael, your photo actually brought tears to my eyes and an audible gasp from me. I have not seen such beautiful photography before and am so impressed with your skills. You need to make this lion print available for purchase, I'd be your first buyer. Love, Cindy from Colorado USA
Thank you so much Cindy! I am so glad you liked it and thank you for sharing your reaction! If you would like a limited edition print you can get one here. I am working on a wildlife book and will let you know when that is available.
I enjoyed this very much. The photograph is beautiful. I didn’t understand most of the technical details but I’m sure they are very helpful to those who do. This is a great photo of a magnificent creature. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your work! Thank you!
Thank you! so much Leslie! I hope it wasn't too technical.
Hi Michael, I’m so glad Stephanie put a link to your new channel. I’m not a photographer but found it fascinating to here the background of this stunning picture you too. Thank you 🙏🏻 Coral Australia 🐨
Thanks Coral! I'm so glad you liked it!
Love hearing how much work goes into great photography. It is not just luck and point and shoot. Great work.
Your photography is brilliant Michael! I feel like I’m right there with you. Such a great talent!😊
Wow, thank you!
I found this so interesting Michael, and the pictures were fabulous. Look forward to more.
Thank you so much!!!
I really enjoyed this look into how you achieve your beautiful photographs. All of the photos you showed in this video were wonderful, but of course the photo of the lion is epic.
So glad you have started this channel and I’m looking forward to seeing more of your work.
Thank you!
Thank you! That is so lovely to hear!
I really enjoyed this beautiful image and all your techniques. You are very talented, Michael.
Thank you so much 😀
More please! Your photos are breathtaking! Loved the perspective for the birds. Was great to see your process with that gorgeous lion, too. Thanks Michael! ❤️
Thank you so much! The next one is now out. I hope you like it as much!
I loved this Michael! Hearing the story behind this photo was great and I found the details about how you made the adjustments in Lightroom from the image out of the camera, really interesting and educational. I would love to see more of these 🥰
Thank you Kim - I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Your photos are stunning. You really know your stuff! How lucky you are to be able to visit areas where the wild life roams, so you have such interesting subjects to take photos of. I look forward to seeing more.
Thank you Lisa! It is such an amazing place, I was so lucky to have been able to go there.
Good idea for a channel. Loved the lion photo, as well as the others. Interesting hearing the stories behind them. Look forward to more in the future.
Thank you so much!!!
Thank you for the
care of the pigeons in the attic.. Your photos are artfully done. I am very thankful the wild life reserve is also taking such care of the precious wild life. All the best to you and your photo adventures😊
Thank you!
Thank you for this very interesting peek behind the curtain of the magic of photography. Watching you make decisions about light exposure etc. was like watching a chef choose their ingredients to make a plate of perfection. I now understand why you enjoy cooking as well. I think your racing photographs are exciting to look at but I’m not a huge fan and one race car looks like another. This travel theme is much more my “speed”. Thanks a bunch this was fun. Looking forward to more. ❤
Thank you Cristine, I never thought about the link between photography and cooking, but I think you might be onto something. I'm glad you are enjoying this chanel.
Loved this, Michael. Have been enjoying you immensely at LaLande, and being from CTown, originally….really appreciate your African photographic adventures. You’re a joy to watch….your cooking skills are also faaaab! ❤ wishing you huge success with this Channel.
Thank you! I am so glad you liked it. Maybe I have to do a bread photograph one day :)
I am so excited and happy to hear about your new channel, Michael! This story was absolutely thrilling and beautiful! Can’t stop looking at the lion.
Thank you so much!
S T U N N I N G ! Luv hearing the story behind the experience and about how you turn a good photograph into absolute ART! Favorite shot at 4:20 - a hauntingly beautiful vision of majesty.
Thank you Azure!
Michael thank you for sharing your legendary artistic works with us. I especially appreciate your thought processes and the back stories that have brought all of these works to fruition. The "Young Lion on The Prowl" is indeed special given the subject and the genius behind the art itself. I am a beginner of photography so your tutorials are very meaningful to me as an artist. Many thanks, Bren of the Golden Isles of Georgia USA
Thank Bren! Good luck with your photography - have a look to see if there is a camera club in your area. Showing your work with other photographers can really help you grow
@@MichaelPotts-Photography Thank you for that great suggestion Michael! I will do just that. BTW, Congrats on your recent grand vintner title. It was wonderful seeing the event and your being "titled". I always enjoy Steph's vlog because who doesn't enjoy an ancient Chateau being brought back to life and my being a trained Interior Design professional (who has been in Commercial Real estate for 40 years now) I just love "what you've done with the place"!! LOL!! I have French / English/ Scottish ancestral heritage.as well as all over Europe so the tours and vaca"s are so much fun for me to enjoy watching. You and the "tribe" at LaLande are such warm, loving and generous folks, again, thank you for sharing your life at LaLande and your special artistic career and endeavors with us across the pond! Good luck with your new venture and I look forward to seeing much more of your art Michael. Best wishes friend, Bren of The Golden Isles of Georgia, USA
Thank you so so much. I hope you can visit your roots soon :)
Thank you so much, fabulous photos 😘🇨🇦
Beautiful photos.
Thank you - that is great to hear!!!
This is something i could sink my teeth into ! LOL Yes, bad joke.
Incredible photos ! Can't wait to see more. Animals and nature is my absolute favorites. I have always dreamed of going to Africa on safari. And hopefully I can go with you ,through your channel. Thanks for showing us your amazing talent ❤ BTW, Loved the Zebra that was smiling at you and the Giraffe licking it's nose.
Thank you! I hope you can get to see the wilds one day. It is an amazing experience! Those Zebra are great :)
Thank you, that was fascinating-- did not understand a lot of the tech details- but what can be done after the shot was intriguing. Best of luck with your new channel.
Thank you. It is interesting to try and imagine what you can do in post production while you are shooting.
This is great! I love that you are providing details on your amazing photos from background to how you achieved the final look of the photograph, including camera, exposure, f-stop settings, etc. I'm looking forward to seeing more. You have some incredible shots of Amsterdam and LaLande (night sky) that I would enjoy learning about.
Thank you. The next one will be about an Amsterdam photograph ;)
So enjoyed this, Michael. You are such an incredibly talented photographer!
Thank you so much!
Loved this new channel, thank you Michael. Absolutely loved your photographs and the story behind them. Keep them coming.
Thanks, will do!
Michael, you are "painting" the pictures with your camera. Your knowledge of equipment and techniques are amazing but your talent is out of this world. Talent is what make pictures stand.
Michael I loved this video. The young male lion is magnificent.
Your talent is very evident in all that you share, whether of LaLande, or others that you share on IG.
Thank you for the history behind this young lion. I thoroughly enjoyed this time with you. ❤❤
Thank you so much, it is lovely to read such kind words. Thank you!!!
Thank you Michael for this lovely vlog. You are just as wonderful a storyteller as you are a photographer! This was so interesting. I really enjoyed the editing info too. Looking forward to the next one!
Thank you so much! The next one is out now :)
Just beautiful Michael, and I loved hearing the story behind the photograph. Congratulations on what is sure to be a successful CZcams channel!
Thanks so much!
Hi Michael, this is FABULOUS! You are a great story teller and the walk through of the photograph was very informative. It was lovely to meet you there and share some of this experience, I wish it could have been from the beginning, but just to see him lying there in the back light was magnificent! Lovely images from the hides and cheetah as well! Hope to see you again. TC 🧡
Hi Sandy! How was the rest of your stay? I hope you got some cracking shots!
Thank you Michael. Your explaining all about the park and your other pictures was very exciting. When you got into the technical part of your craft, it went right over my head but it was so interesting to see the changes that happened to the photograph. Thank you!
Stunning photograph! I am impressed by the amount of work you put into it, both before and after. I have also watched you at LAlande for a long time and seen the quality of your photos. You are INCREDIBLY talented Michael.
Thank you so much! That is so lovely to hear
@@MichaelPotts-Photography and only the TRUTH! 😁🤩
Thank you :)
This is a perfect way to share your photos and give us background information! I love the history!! Keep up the good work. Glad I subscribed! 💙
Thank you so much Rhonda!
❤ amazing
Thank you Denice!!!
25 seconds in & i already know I am going to love it here! Ty Michael.
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the next one as much!
Michael this was sensational! I knew you were a professional photographer - these photos are stunning. Loved the backstory as well.
Thank you so much Blake!
Great photos.. Discovered you from following The Pethericks then Chateau Diaries.. What a wonderful group of Friends..
Amazing! Thanks so much for the education, Michael, loved it! Wishing you huge success with your new channel.
Thanks so much!
Michael! This was informative, entertaining, and intriguing. Who knew my favorite goofball moat swimmer was so talented. I knew you took pictures, of course, but the skill with tinkering with the after image is quite impressive. I have been checking out your photography for quite a while and I do have an image I am curious about. You took a picture of the chapel at night and there are lights that are floating in front of it. How did you do that? 🧡
Thanks Linda, I am very happy to be your favorite goofball :)
That was taken when we first moved to Lalande. It is a slow shutter speed shot, probably 1/30s, and I ran in front of the camera with a torch and spun it around creating the light trails.
STUNNING PHOTO 😍 !! - Looks like an award winning entry for Wildlife Photographer of the Year 💥
Incredible Michael. Love the story. Thank you
Thank you!
Wonderful first video. The story behind getting the shot is fascinating and I really appreciate you explaining your post processing steps. It really helps us amateur photographers grow.
Thank you! I hope it is helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions.
So happy you have a new channel! Been watching you over at LaLande... it is always lovely to see you there, you add so much to Stephanie's vlogs 🦁❤ What an absolutely gorgeous shot, and your explanation was spot on, and easy to understand for the layman!
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked it.
I love your photographs. They’re stunning. It’s so nice that hides are used for photos & not for hunting.
Stunning
Thank you!!
I LOVE THIS!
It is wonderful for you to do this type of channel. I do like car racing, but I love travel and animals more. Your work is beautiful! I would love to see any places you have visited.
Thank you! Formula 1 is a bit niche, I hope this can inspire more people :)
This is wonderful, thank you for creating this channel! I look forward to watching, I have a soul calling to South Africa or ancient memories there with the Lions ... Thank you for sharing the great animal kingdom through your eyes x
Thank you so much Anouk. I hope you get to visit South Africa.
Michael, your compositions are exquisite!
Thank you so much.
What an amazing story and even more amazing shot of the lion. I really loved some of the shots of the birds as well especially the one that had red feet and legs. You lead such an interesting life. I hope you really appreciate the magical experiences you get to have.
Honestly, the images from the hide at surface level were remarkable. I absolutely loved seeing your photography from that perspective. Thank you for putting it together here.
Michael Potts! Loved, loved, loved these Amazing photographs. Also very much enjoyed your narrative. I look forward to more wonderful tales on this channel.!! Great Idea.
Thank you so much! The next one is a photograph from Amsterdam
Stunning photography and I loved you doing the stories behind them, so thank you. Its wonderful to see that some people do care about these beautiful creatures and do their shooting with a camera. Ive watched you at Lalande but I'll definitely follow you. Amazing talent!
Beautiful images. And I enjoyed learning the process.
Thank you - would you be interested in seeing more details about the process?
@@MichaelPotts-Photography absolutely.
Hi Michael! I’ve been watching you since I binged watched (during COVID) Stephanie’s channel from LaLande. Your photography is amazing in the way you capture each subject. Looking forward to more videos from you. 👍🏻🙏
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoy the Diaries too!
Thanks Michael Potts….a very good start! See you again….👍
Thank you Sandra!!!
Love your new channel!!! I’ve loved seeing you at LaLande and I love photography so this is awesome!! Absolutely stunning photographs and I love the history on how you took the photo and edited it!! Thanks for sharing!! I look forward to more!!
Love from Mary in Southern California 💗
Thank you so much Mary!! I'm so glad you liked this!
Love this new YT channel! Your cars are beautiful, but wasn’t my jam. But this behind the picture idea is COMPLETELY my jam! I would love to hear the story behind the images you took of Stephanie in the abandoned building. Those knocked my socks off. I also like that you explain how you enhanced the photo and the details on the camera. Years ago I was huge into photography - but never used a ton of camera modifications. My teachers (I was in my 40’s at the time, were shocked at my photos without really understanding the camera functions. I won lots of awards and they called me the ‘Forest Gump’ of photography. (I did mostly black and white - and developed them in a dark room before I moved into digital when I started traveling) Great idea for a channel!
Thank you Kym! I don't think anyone who can develop images in a dark room could be called 'Forest Gump'. It takes skill to win awards!
Artistry of photography is impressive for both laymen and experienced photographers. Some quirky and some majestic.
Thanks so much - I'm glad you are enjoying it - more to come!
Loved this video Michael and look forward to more.
Thank you Lynn - the next one will be about a photograph taken in Amsterdam
I loved all the pictures. The lion is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing the technical side of the picture. Looking forward to more stories. Best wishes!
Thanks so much 😊 The next one will be a shot taken in Amsterdam
The pictures make me feel I have the animals next to me! ❤
Wow! I love the explanation of how you achieved the end result. Thank you.
I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
Loved this and am excited to see and hear about more about your art. I liked how you explained the process even though I didn't understand most of it lol. Great job.
Oh and would have paid good money to see you shooing the pigeons out of the attic 😂
The pigeons were so naughty, hopefully they are now all outside but still have places to get out of the rain :)
Michael, Thank you for sharing. Already knew you are a very talented photographer. Loved seeing all the other photos in this video as well. And from someone who didn’t know anything about the editing that goes into, it was fascinating to see.
Looking forward to the next video 😊
Thank you so much, I'm glad I was able to show you something new.
Beautiful Photo.
Thank you so so much!
So interesting and amazing photographs. Thank you for sharing, looking forward to the next installment.
Thank you! The next one is out, it's the story of a photograph of Amsterdam
How majestic he is! How talented you are! Hugs from NY
Thanks for sharing your story behind the photo and travels.
I'm glad you liked it.
Well done. Your clarity in describing the process and your "sculpting" of your subjects is amazing. Thank you for sharing and teaching us .
The lion is gorgeous and so grand in his profile, love the zebras. Good to see you outside of the chateau
Michael, as I have said before, I think your photographs are stunning! Your eye for shadow and color catches such an almost etherial quality to the subject. Really great job. Love you at LaLande too Thanks for sharing💕
You're an amazing photographer Michael and I love your explanation on what you do to make the photographs look even better! This must come from years of photographing F1 races and all that you've had to do to get the shots while at the racetrack. Thank you for sharing your other photographs with us; I didn't know that you did this and it's really beautiful. Have a great weekend. (from Sandi)
Thank you so much Sandi! I am really glad you like it. More to come!
I absolutely love your channel! Your photography is exquisite!
Thank you so much!
Your photos are art!
Thank you. That is so lovely to hear!
Loved the detail description of how you enhanced the lion photo Michael; and look forward to more: Love ANIMALS!
Wow Michael your so talented! Your photos are beautiful ❤
Thank you so much!
Amazing photos Michael. The reserve is so beautiful and a great cause. The lion is so beautiful. 🙂🇨🇦
It really is a special place. I'm so glad you like the shot.