Poised — cheetah silhouette rising from tall grass, black and white fine art photograph from Maasai Mara, Kenya by Vasilis Moustakas
Poised — cheetah silhouette rising from tall grass, black and white fine art photograph from Maasai Mara, Kenya by Vasilis Moustakas

Poised

$1,000.00

Maasai Mara, Kenya 2023

Cheetahs look better from the side. The silhouette is what carries them — the long line of the back, the lifted head, the leg up mid-step. I always try to reveal that shape. The tall grass around her gave me a stage to put her on. I held the camera as low as I could from the vehicle window and let her rise out of the grass like a form coming out of an abstract field.

The light was at the edge of being too harsh. Most photographers would not have worked that hour. But the harsh shadows built the structure of her — the muscle definition, the spots catching different angles of light, the depth in the body. They gave a three-dimensional look to the world's fastest mammal. Sometimes the difficult light is the right light.

This image is from The Heart of the Wild. I want to make portraits of these animals, not documents. That means thinking about how the animal sits inside the frame the way a portrait photographer thinks about a person inside a room. The grass is not background here. It is composition. The light is not lighting. It is structure. I am making these decisions in the field but I am already seeing the print on a wall.

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

Cheetahs look better from the side. The silhouette is what carries them — the long line of the back, the lifted head, the leg up mid-step. I always try to reveal that shape. The tall grass around her gave me a stage to put her on. I held the camera as low as I could from the vehicle window and let her rise out of the grass like a form coming out of an abstract field.

The light was at the edge of being too harsh. Most photographers would not have worked that hour. But the harsh shadows built the structure of her — the muscle definition, the spots catching different angles of light, the depth in the body. They gave a three-dimensional look to the world's fastest mammal. Sometimes the difficult light is the right light.

This image is from The Heart of the Wild. I want to make portraits of these animals, not documents. That means thinking about how the animal sits inside the frame the way a portrait photographer thinks about a person inside a room. The grass is not background here. It is composition. The light is not lighting. It is structure. I am making these decisions in the field but I am already seeing the print on a wall.

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.

‘‘Sometimes the difficult light is the right light.’’

Poised — black and white cheetah 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 × 18 in (61 × 46 cm)
Medium: 40 × 30 in (102 × 76 cm)
Large: 53.25 × 40 in (135 × 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