I think this is a wonderful shot. If I had voted in this challenge, I would have given a 7 or 8. The lioness' ear is slightly chopped off but that isn't a biggie. The emotion envoked is charming and by your title, humanizing.
I guess the "literal" searching people voted points off because of the contest discription:
For the purpose of this challenge, "wildlife" should be considered non-domesticated mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians living in a natural environment. Now that you know what to photograph, take your best shot!
Did you miss that they were to be living in a natural environment? This shot would have had to be taken in Africa on safari to get lions in their "natural habitat". That is all I can guess why the lower scores. It kinda sucks that so many don't consider the quality of the photograph should weigh more than the "literal" interpretation of the challenge. This photo is very well done.
I think you finished well, considering the scores.
Very cute...I don't like how her ear was cut off and his feet. I feel like either get them or cut out most of them. In this case, I think the background doesn't really add anything so a closer crop of just their heads would've worked better.
Given the spirit of the challenge was to capture a shot of wildlife in its natural environment, I find it most difficult to believe that this was done with your entry. Needless to say my vote on this was very low given those circumstances. When a photo does not do its best in composition to depict actual challenge guidelines, my stadegy for voting immediately stops and it becomes a DNMC to me. I find it hard to believe that wild cats or any other huge animal known to be possibly dangerous to man was hunted down for any kind of a shoot that only receives a graphic ribbon. Seeing these two animals together in this way is also to rare to imagine as being a capture in the wild.
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