Breaking Free — young zebra running with motion blur, black and white fine art photograph from Maasai Mara, Kenya by Vasilis Moustakas
Breaking Free — young zebra running with motion blur, black and white fine art photograph from Maasai Mara, Kenya by Vasilis Moustakas

Breaking Free

$1,000.00

Maasai Mara, Kenya 2023

A young zebra running for its life. The truth is a cheetah was chasing him and his mother. It was a tense moment. Everything went well for the young one and the cheetah had to try another time. But in a beautiful place like the Mara it is also wild — a constant fight for survival, every day.

I went with a slow shutter and panned with him as he ran past. I wanted the body sharp and everything around to move. The blur is what makes the image — without it you lose the speed, the urgency, the sense that he is running for something. With it you can almost feel his legs working under him.

This image belongs to The Heart of the Wild, made over two weeks in the Maasai Mara. So much happens there at once — lions and elephants on the same open plain, herds moving through yellow grass, dramatic clouds in the morning, hard sun by midday. The first days I was reactive, shooting too much. Somewhere in the middle of the trip I slowed down and started waiting for the moments that carried weight instead of chasing every animal that moved. This one I did not wait for. It happened in front of me and I had a fraction of a second to react.

Maybe one percent of what I shot over two weeks survived the edit. If an image did not make me feel something it was just documentation, and documentation is not the work. This frame is about survival, not the chase. The cheetah is not in the picture and that is on purpose. What is in the picture is one young animal, alive, moving fast, making it through one more day.

Maasai Mara, Kenya 2023

A young zebra running for its life. The truth is a cheetah was chasing him and his mother. It was a tense moment. Everything went well for the young one and the cheetah had to try another time. But in a beautiful place like the Mara it is also wild — a constant fight for survival, every day.

I went with a slow shutter and panned with him as he ran past. I wanted the body sharp and everything around to move. The blur is what makes the image — without it you lose the speed, the urgency, the sense that he is running for something. With it you can almost feel his legs working under him.

This image belongs to The Heart of the Wild, made over two weeks in the Maasai Mara. So much happens there at once — lions and elephants on the same open plain, herds moving through yellow grass, dramatic clouds in the morning, hard sun by midday. The first days I was reactive, shooting too much. Somewhere in the middle of the trip I slowed down and started waiting for the moments that carried weight instead of chasing every animal that moved. This one I did not wait for. It happened in front of me and I had a fraction of a second to react.

Maybe one percent of what I shot over two weeks survived the edit. If an image did not make me feel something it was just documentation, and documentation is not the work. This frame is about survival, not the chase. The cheetah is not in the picture and that is on purpose. What is in the picture is one young animal, alive, moving fast, making it through one more day.

‘‘This frame is about survival, not the chase.’’

Breaking Free — black and white zebra 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