23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
Touched by the First Light

At sunrise in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, I set out to photograph the lively movements of lion cubs. The sky to the east was thick with clouds, but for a brief moment a small opening appeared. Through that narrow window, a soft beam of red-tinted light broke through and gently illuminated the mother lion resting beside her young.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2025
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: Maasai Mara, Kenya
Camera: NIKON Z 9
Copyright: © Yoshiki Nakamura