Memory of Dust — elephant profile portrait with dust on the tusks, black and white fine art photograph from Maasai Mara, Kenya by Vasilis Moustakas
Memory of Dust — elephant profile portrait with dust on the tusks, black and white fine art photograph from Maasai Mara, Kenya by Vasilis Moustakas

Memory of Dust

$1,000.00

Maasai Mara, Kenya 2023

I worked the whole morning for this one. Elephants are always a great subject for me, but I wanted a profile portrait that really connects — and for that you have to wait for the expression. You sit and you watch and most of the time the face is doing nothing, just being an elephant. Then for a second something shifts. To me this looks like a smile. A feel-good moment from the animal world. That is what I was waiting for all morning.

The dust on the tusks and around the eye is not staged. It is what was there. A detail of truth from a place where animals live in the dust and carry it on their bodies. I wanted the crop tight so the focus stayed on the face — the wrinkles, the eye, the mud on the ivory. Nothing else around to soften it.

This image belongs to The Heart of the Wild, two weeks of working in the Maasai Mara out of a tent camp deep in the park. Up before sunrise, out in the jeep, back when the light got hard. Then out again until sunset. 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 instead of chasing them. A morning like this one would not have happened in the first week. It happened because I had stopped trying to make things happen and started letting them.

I do not photograph wildlife to document it. I photograph because the natural world still carries something modern life has mostly lost. These images are not a mourning of what is disappearing. They are proof that it still exists.

Maasai Mara, Kenya 2023

I worked the whole morning for this one. Elephants are always a great subject for me, but I wanted a profile portrait that really connects — and for that you have to wait for the expression. You sit and you watch and most of the time the face is doing nothing, just being an elephant. Then for a second something shifts. To me this looks like a smile. A feel-good moment from the animal world. That is what I was waiting for all morning.

The dust on the tusks and around the eye is not staged. It is what was there. A detail of truth from a place where animals live in the dust and carry it on their bodies. I wanted the crop tight so the focus stayed on the face — the wrinkles, the eye, the mud on the ivory. Nothing else around to soften it.

This image belongs to The Heart of the Wild, two weeks of working in the Maasai Mara out of a tent camp deep in the park. Up before sunrise, out in the jeep, back when the light got hard. Then out again until sunset. 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 instead of chasing them. A morning like this one would not have happened in the first week. It happened because I had stopped trying to make things happen and started letting them.

I do not photograph wildlife to document it. I photograph because the natural world still carries something modern life has mostly lost. These images are not a mourning of what is disappearing. They are proof that it still exists.

‘‘A detail of truth from a place where animals live in the dust and carry it on their bodies.’’

Memory of Dust — black and white elephant 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 × 15 in (61 × 38 cm)
Medium: 36 × 22.5 in (91 × 57 cm)
Large: 60 × 37.5 in (152 × 95 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.

ENQUIRE ABOUT THIS PRINT
Framing and Display Options