All Eyes Forward — wounded male lion walking away from an elephant confrontation, black and white fine art photograph from Maasai Mara, Kenya by Vasilis Moustakas
All Eyes Forward — wounded male lion walking away from an elephant confrontation, black and white fine art photograph from Maasai Mara, Kenya by Vasilis Moustakas

All Eyes Forward

$1,000.00

Maasai Mara, Kenya 2023

The elephants in the background had just driven him off. They closed ranks around their young and the confrontation was fast and far away — I did not see most of it and I would not have photographed it anyway. I am not interested in the hunt or the kill. I want to photograph these animals in the state of being. He was walking out of it with a wound on his back leg, slightly limping but carrying himself like nothing had happened. The elephants stayed on the ridge behind him. Two species in one frame, one of them leaving the field on his own terms.

This image belongs to The Heart of the Wild, a body of work made over two weeks in the Maasai Mara with Tinka and Jamlick, two Masai guides who knew the land and the animals in a way I never will. The trip started a long time before — when I was a kid in Greece watching The Lion King. That was the first time I felt something for wildlife.

The first days in the Mara were not good for me. Too much was pulling at me and I was shooting too much, reacting to everything around the jeep. Somewhere in the middle of the trip I slowed down. Started being more deliberate. Waiting for the moments that carried weight instead of chasing every animal that moved. That shift is what made the work.

Maybe one percent of what I shot over those two weeks survived the edit. If an image did not make me feel something, it was just documentation. Documentation is not the work. This one stayed because of how he was walking — not what had happened, but how he carried it.

Maasai Mara, Kenya 2023

The elephants in the background had just driven him off. They closed ranks around their young and the confrontation was fast and far away — I did not see most of it and I would not have photographed it anyway. I am not interested in the hunt or the kill. I want to photograph these animals in the state of being. He was walking out of it with a wound on his back leg, slightly limping but carrying himself like nothing had happened. The elephants stayed on the ridge behind him. Two species in one frame, one of them leaving the field on his own terms.

This image belongs to The Heart of the Wild, a body of work made over two weeks in the Maasai Mara with Tinka and Jamlick, two Masai guides who knew the land and the animals in a way I never will. The trip started a long time before — when I was a kid in Greece watching The Lion King. That was the first time I felt something for wildlife.

The first days in the Mara were not good for me. Too much was pulling at me and I was shooting too much, reacting to everything around the jeep. Somewhere in the middle of the trip I slowed down. Started being more deliberate. Waiting for the moments that carried weight instead of chasing every animal that moved. That shift is what made the work.

Maybe one percent of what I shot over those two weeks survived the edit. If an image did not make me feel something, it was just documentation. Documentation is not the work. This one stayed because of how he was walking — not what had happened, but how he carried it.

‘‘ Slightly limping, but carrying himself like nothing had happened.’’

All Eyes Forward — black and white lion fine art print, framed, by Vasilis Moustakas

The Edition

Edition of 7 + 2 Artist Proofs

The seven prints are shared across all three sizes, so whichever scale you choose, it is one of seven. When the last print is placed, the image is retired and never printed again.

Pricing follows the edition. Each print placed moves the next one up, so the earliest collectors acquire the work at its lowest price.

Sizes

Small: 24 × 16 in (61 × 41 cm)
Medium: 36 × 24 in (91 × 61 cm)
Large: 60 × 40 in (152 × 102 cm)

Prices begin at $1,000 for the Small print.

The Print

Each print is made as an archival pigment print on Hahnemühle fine art paper, chosen for its depth, tonal range and a surface that rewards close looking. Every print is signed and numbered by hand and arrives with a Certificate of Authenticity recording the title, edition number and production details.

Framing

Bespoke framing is available on request. Tell me about the wall and the room, and I'll put together a frame, mount and finish that suit both the work and where it will live.

Acquiring the Work

For pricing and availability, write to me directly. Every enquiry is answered personally.

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Framing and Display Options