Harbin

This is a simple portrait of the most dangerous and beautiful cat in
the world: The Siberian Tiger. It was taken in -30 degrees in Northern
China, and while there is deliberately no context in the image, there
is a sense of the cold. I believe that powerful photography tends to
be the result of preferential access and pre-trip logistics. Pressing
the shutter is often fairly straightforward, even at -30 degrees. This
image confirms my point. I was in a cage supplied by local officials
– a cage with gaps wide enough for my camera lens, but too small
for a tiger’s head. Behind my cage was another caged vehicle with
a chicken thrower. The tiger was looking at the chickens not me.
Logistics like this do not happen in a day. There was a great deal
of prep work, and in Northern China, English is an alien language.
The picture may be simple, but its capture in the deep Siberian
winter was far from simple. What an alpha animal – both terrifying
and beautiful.