#044 - Looking At Me Looking At You | Lion Print

Tsavo West, Kenya - 2023
 
I was on a ten-day expedition in Kenya, focused entirely on photographing elephants for an upcoming exhibition. My attention was fixed on them, and I drove past everything else without a second thought. Then, as I rounded a bend in the road, I was met with an unexpected sight. Four lions were resting high on a bank beside the road, close enough to feel their presence.
 
Even though my mission was to capture elephants, I couldn’t ignore the scene in front of me. The calm power of these lions was magnetic, and I knew that with patience, something special could unfold. Their elevated position and the short distance between us created the perfect setup for an intimate, eye-level composition, the kind of rare moment that defines African wildlife photography.
 
Encounters like this show how nature often shapes the story in unexpected ways. What begins as a focused search for one subject can lead to a photograph that reveals another kind of wild beauty. It became one of those quiet, unforgettable moments that blend instinct, opportunity, and the art of fine art wildlife photography, capturing why lion prints and black and white animal photography continue to hold such timeless appeal.