Preeti & Prashant Chacko
Camera: Nikon D5
Lens: 500mm f/4
Aperture: f/6.3
Shutter speed: 1/640
ISO: 1600
Description: A mother in the Black Rock area of the Masai Mara watches the rest of the pride head to the rocks for cover, while choosing to stay out in the rain with her cub!
Story from behind the lens: After having moved to Kenya, we discovered the rainy seasons in the Masai Mara and they have easily become our favourite times to be in the park. While the abundant cloud cover and early morning dew make most things magical at this time, when we get to see cats in the rain, we get truly excited.
Our first ever experience of any big cats in the rain was while we were travelling with Dominic Maatany and Joseph, from Enkewa Mara Camp. We were busy photographing cubs playing on the rock at Black Rock, when Dominic noticed the start of a drizzle. He already knew of our interest in back lighting and mother-cub interaction and excitedly re-positioned the vehicle near a group of lionesses with cubs.
"Some Rain Must Fall' shows a mother and cub taking a seemingly philosophical view about the rain, as compared to the rest of the pride which was heading toward shelter. In choosing to stay exposed, it seemed like the mom was teaching her cub the implied lesson in Longfellow's words: “Thy fate is the common fate of all; Into each life some rain must fall.”