You have a beautiful sky here, and the idea of having reflections is a good one. I have a couple of suggestions that I feel would improve this image. There is sufficient lighting to create shadows, and shadows would add weight and depth to the animals. They look too cut-and-pasted without the shadows. In addition, the animals are not to scale. The lion is too large. He's half the height of the elephant and is as tall as the giraffe's stomach. Correct these errors and lighten the reflection, and I think it would add a great deal to your composite.   Posted: 05/12/2022 15:47:18

Aavo, I like the composition and reflection. I agree with Alan regarding the cut and paste look. I wonder if you are reducing the size too much loosing image sharpness. If you are attempting realism, the dark swatch of land between the animals and the water makes this look less like a true reflection so i'd consider matching the distance as in your original 3 image.   Posted: 05/13/2022 18:35:20

Such a beautiful sky, Aavo, and I love the reflections in the water. I like how you have the animals coming to show respect to the elephant rather than the lion. I think you have done a good job with the lighting on the backlit animals - we can see enough detail to be interesting, but not lit as in daylight. I think it's often hard to have a magnificent sky that doesn't overwhelm the subject, but you have handled that beautifully here.
I think Brad and Alan have made good suggestions.   Posted: 05/15/2022 13:22:36

Hi Aavo, I think that this is an exhilarating image! The modifications that have been suggested would certainly make it more realistic, but I think that it has a wonderful slightly naivistic-like touch just as it is - it would make a great illustration for Kipling's "Just so" stories.   Posted: 05/21/2022 10:07:21

Thank you all for your comments. I do a lot of cut and paste and try to use feathering.
Welcome to the group Kirsti. We are birth neighbors. I was born
in Estonia.   Posted: 05/21/2022 11:16:17

Hi Aavo, I like the image that you have created reminds me of the image of a Spanish wildlife photographer who captured a similar image in Africa a few years ago.
My only suggestion is about the amount of light that the lion has, I find that is too much compared to the rest of the animals and also considering that it is a backlight scene.
Perhaps you could apply a gradient that darkens the lion figure from the feet upwards. This would help the lion to be more integrated into the scene since now the difference in light between the feet and the ground is very large.   Posted: 05/22/2022 01:20:27