Old Testament

David Yarrow:

"The best photographs can often have simplicity at their heart, but this simple portrait was the product of fairly complex working arrangements in the field. Unlike many of my lion shots, this was not taken with remote controls, but with my camera in hand. I was in a two-man cage, with my assistant behind me controlling the door with a rope. The minimum distance I could feel safe was about 25 feet and this required the use of a 200 mm lens.

In my view, the best time to photograph lions is about half an hour after sunrise. The light gets stronger by the minute, allowing for a faster shutter speed and more depth of field. The lion on this photograph is transfixed, looking right into my eyes with every detail sharply visible on its face. Three steps forward and the cage door closed, and with it the opportunity.

The image is as good as I can do. It's timeless and the backlit dust adds to its elemental and rather biblical mood, hence its title The Old Testament. It was taken with the help of Kevin Richardson – The Lion Whisperer – who does more to raise awareness for the plight of the lion than anyone".