Without colour leading the viewer's eye, I have to use a tonal range of light and shadow to walk the viewer through the photograph so that all the elements play their vital role in creating an engaging black and white art print.Josephine Baker - the U.S.-born entertainer, anti-Nazi spy and civil rights activist - was inducted into France's Pantheon on Tuesday, becoming the first Black woman to receive the nation's highest honour.īaker's voice resonated through streets of Paris' famed Left Bank as recordings from her extraordinary career kicked off an elaborate ceremony at the domed mausoleum. The excitement and raw emotion I felt photographing I translate from colour to monochrome. Capturing the image is only half the story, the real magic happens in the digital darkroom where once more my heartstrings are pulled. There are many elements within this wildlife photograph. The lioness is lying down after a bout of mating, her eyes are open and looking directly at the viewer. The lion is looking out of the frame and asks the question, what has gotten the lions attention? The lone tree anchors the background and leads your eye through the image. The brooding storm clouds create a dramatic sky, giving texture and a three-dimensional feel to the photo. This perspective will show the vastness of the Mara, giving the viewer a wonderful sense of place. I chose not to get too close to the lions, using a wider lens than usual to include the savannah with the hills and storm clouds as a backdrop. Telling a story in a single picture is extremely difficult but essential. The lions will play lead roles, but it is the other details that will make or break this image. I calm myself and look at all the elements in front of me and arrange them to create a beautiful photograph. My heart is pounding and telling me that this scene in front of me will make a beautiful wildlife print. When we happened upon this wonderful Lion and Lioness in the heart of the Masai Mara, my body went into overdrive.
My style of photography has always been about raw emotion, something pulling at my heartstrings, a sense of euphoria and adrenaline coursing through my veins. To create beautiful fine-art prints that connect with the viewer is more complicated than it sounds. One of the most stunning black and white animal portraits. I breathed a sigh of both relief and joy. The Matriarch reacted by extending ears at that moment all the elements needed to create a compelling portrait came together, the Matriarch was front on, eye to eye, ears out, trunk slight curled at the tip, I held my breath, and pressed the shutter. One of my guests, let a small yelp of delight as a baby elephant reached their trunk towards her. The Matriarch turned towards me, we were eye to eye, as she reached for another bunch of grass. The moment I had hoped for, silently began to unfold in front of me, I was worried about not having enough focal length, I turned the camera to portrait and breathed a sigh of relief - just enough room within the frame. The elephants were all around us, and they were relaxed, and so where we. It is the most amazing and humbling experience to be in such proximity to an elephant herd.
The Matriarch had the longest tusks I had ever seen on a female elephant.
I had always wanted to photograph an elephant with long tusks, and I always assumed it would be a male. My chest began to beat faster, my senses where heightened, excitement washed over me. I hadn't noticed her at first as she had her back to us,