Working with a wide-angle lens from a cage in a river in lion territory is an abnormal way to spend the day, and a very low percentage way to take a photograph of note. Lions do jump, but it is not common and even when they do, there is little chance of a camera catching the leap well.

A retrospective of my files would suggest that in 10 years I have only had two successful days. This January I had my second moment that transcended. Nikon has made my life easier over those years with the super-fast D5 camera, but most of all, I want to thank Kevin Richardson – without whom this type of image could not even be considered.
I want the lion to look magnificent – why otherwise take on the brief? So many things have to combine for the cigar shot, but I think with this spectacular frame we can allow ourselves the cigar.

Kevin’s sanctuary in South Africa has given me many moments over the years and as our trust of each other has grown, so have the opportunities. There is no doubt that my work has improved. I am proud to be an Ambassador for his foundation.

South Africa, 2020

There is a transcending level of power and vitality to this image of an adult lioness. Her intent and the precision of that intent makes the photograph. They are magnificent cats and, when they need to be, they are also killing machines.

It was taken with my favourite 58mm lens, which offers extraordinary detail if the focus is right and the ISO is low. As with other images in this series, our approach was to work inside a cage so heavy that the lioness could not topple or destabilise it.

Looking at the camera metadata, this was captured around 6.45 am which, given the amount of preparation involved, hints at just how early our starts are in Africa.

Archival Pigment Print

South Africa, 2020

This is unquestionably the meanest, toughest wild lion that I know in the world. There is a heavy-duty security fence between us that has a section designed so I can take this exact kind of portrait. The section had a rectangular box cut at lion eye level that was large enough for my camera to breathe, but too small for Gandalf the lion’s head. He still tried a couple of times to enter my space and my heart did skip a beat. Make no mistake, this is a massive and dangerous animal and these are close encounters.

The photograph is made with 7.30am backlight, using material depth of field and a lack of magnification. In all three variables, I have tweaked my preferences over the years and by learning how to get it hopelessly wrong, I now get it just about right. His whole face, from the outer chin to inner eyes, has to be pin sharp, which is a challenge. My photography is rarely led by maths, but on this occasion, maths was pivotal.

I am happy with the construction of this image – I think it grabs and then holds the eye. The tail, the primal rawness and the scars.

If Al Pacino was Scarface, so also is Gandalf.

Dinokeng, South Africa – 2020

This is as close as I want to get to this lion. Even though I am protected because the man made hole that I am shooting through is the size of a camera lens not his head, the 3 feet between me and him is as close as my heart will allow for. This picture was only possible with my partner Kevin Richardson – his understanding of lion behavior is second to none and most of all we trust each other.

Much of my approach here is down to simple mathematics and understanding of lenses and depths of field. The fast Nikon 85mm has fabulous optical quality – it is the best portrait lens that I have ever owned – so that was my choice.

During most summers, the Serengeti in Tanzania is defined by the traffic and some of the serenity of these endless plains can be lost. It is considered the crown jewel of the East African game reserves and – in my view – deservedly so. But that status comes with a price – tourists and jeeps – hundreds of them.

But not so during the Covid 19 pandemic of 2020. We took one of the first international flights in and unsurprisingly found virtually no one to be here. The swab testing logistics may be a little tiresome, but the light footprint is offering unprecedented opportunities to work alone in the field. In the vastness of the Eastern Serengeti, there are currently few humans and a huge number of lions. For those that are here, conditions for film making are perfect.

We sat with this stunning big male lion on the Utafiti kopjes from sunrise one morning. No other jeeps were anywhere in the region and so when he moved, we could adapt quickly without being inconsiderate to the line of sight of others. At about 7.45 am he saw a potential prey and with his eyes full of intent, he set off from the rocks above us. I had my chance, when he was still higher than my camera.

The angle and the line of the rock face work for me, but the real bonus is his rockstar aesthetics. He would not look out of place headlining at Glastonbury with The Cure. It’s an apposite name for 2020.

Serengeti, Tanzania – 2020

My favourite quote on photography is so simple. It comes from the mind of a greatly respected Nat Geo cameraman, Jim Richardson. He said “If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff ”.

It seems so banal, but it is also “bang on”. The lens may look both ways and the photographer’s soul, ability and experience plays a big role, but let’s face it, the lens looks outward more than it looks inward. Not even Ansel Adams could have taken a new picture of the Eiffel Tower that the world needed to see.

I take no credit for this image. It may be quite extraordinary and may never be seen again, but all I had to do was point my camera lens at the subject. So who is to credit?

I would give credit to my intelligent guide in the eastern Serengeti – Leverd Mgomwende and also the conservation NGOs in Tanzania and beyond who are helping the lion survive. Lions are under huge pressure and this is an uplifting photograph. Most of all though, I dedicate it to my long term friend – South Africa’s Kevin Richardson. He is the lion’s champion in Africa and that is quite a responsibility.

I see 20 lion at the bar. That’s just nuts.