By Cyrus P. (IRG)
Can you tell us about the story behind this image? Where were you, what were you doing and who were you with?
On a safari in Kenya, my back was aching from sitting in the jeep. I wanted to eat something, as I was starving. We stopped. I was looking for insects, then a lioness emerged, looking like something out of the Lion King. Then, after placing the tour guide directly in front of me as a sacrifice in case of an attack, I adjusted my camera for the light and followed its movements for a few minutes. I lost focus for a second when it yawned with its mouth open. Feeling stupid, I decided I would stay focused on it until it opened its mouth again. Not as bad as it seems, because my sacrifice (the tour guide) very kindly offered for me to rest the lens on top of his head. After having used many tripods, his head was the best. Finally, it yawned which was when I clicked. It looks like a roar because her tongue was not sticking out. In all honesty, the thought of actually using my tour guide as bait to get a good picture of the lion’s movement did cross my mind, however my good conscience got the better of me. That’s it really.
Did you realise you had captured a special image right away, or did you only realise after reviewing the photos?
One thing I have learned from photographing people is that taking bursts are crucial. I knew I took enough bursts while her mouth was open — I was confident that I got something good. That being said, there was always a possibility that the light, exposure or shutter speed was a tad bit off, but I was lucky.
How long did you wait to capture the right moment? Was this lion difficult to find?
It took hours naturally but thankfully there was a good team of experts that knew where to look. I mean, put it this way: if you dropped me in the middle of the jungle, I would not do very well at locating anything.
How does this picture affect you emotionally?
Photography is one of my hobbies that I am passionate about, with wildlife photography being an incredible way to immerse myself with nature. But this picture made me question whether it was really worth it. I do not like the idea that I would choose to get in proximity of a beast that can attack me very easily. I like my face, it is decently symmetrical. Anyways, I guess you could say emotionally it was revealing, amazing and touching. I felt very privileged and grateful to have such an opportunity. But, ultimately, I feel like it is an animal that is looking at me; it wants to eat me and I am looking back at it and I am willingly in that situation. I know how awful that sounds, however from my perspective that is what it is.
How does this image make you feel about the environment?
I always have felt the environment is so important especially as we move into a more technological era, and seeing nature’s beauty through its wild beasts further makes me feel passionate for conservation.
