Unbroken — wounded lion still moving forward, black and white fine art photograph from Maasai Mara, Kenya by Vasilis Moustakas
Unbroken — wounded lion still moving forward, black and white fine art photograph from Maasai Mara, Kenya by Vasilis Moustakas

Unbroken

$1,000.00

Maasai Mara, Kenya 2023

Lions are strong and powerful, but sometimes even they have bad moments. This male was limping. Something had injured one of his feet and he was struggling to walk with it. I watched him coming toward the vehicle, one foot hard to put down, and he kept coming anyway. Wounded but still moving forward.

I wanted the full body for this one. Most of my lion work is tight on the face, but this was not a face story. This was a body story. The full frame tells you what you need to know — the lean muscle, the scars, the injured foot, and still the head held up and the eyes forward. I worked from a low angle in the vehicle with a wide lens so he would fill the frame with the whole of him and none of it would be hidden.

This is not a photograph about a lion. It is a photograph about what you do when you cannot do what you normally do. He kept walking. Slowly, painfully, but forward. That is all any of us can do in the bad moments — the ones where the work is harder than we want it to be, where the body is not cooperating, where something has gone wrong and there is no quick way out. You move forward. You do not wait to feel better before you move.

This image belongs to The Heart of the Wild. I do not photograph wildlife to document it. I photograph it because the natural world shows us things about ourselves if we watch closely enough. Sometimes the lesson is in a mother carrying her cub. Sometimes it is in four young cheetahs playing at the base of a tree. And sometimes it is in a wounded lion who will not stop walking.

Maasai Mara, Kenya 2023

Lions are strong and powerful, but sometimes even they have bad moments. This male was limping. Something had injured one of his feet and he was struggling to walk with it. I watched him coming toward the vehicle, one foot hard to put down, and he kept coming anyway. Wounded but still moving forward.

I wanted the full body for this one. Most of my lion work is tight on the face, but this was not a face story. This was a body story. The full frame tells you what you need to know — the lean muscle, the scars, the injured foot, and still the head held up and the eyes forward. I worked from a low angle in the vehicle with a wide lens so he would fill the frame with the whole of him and none of it would be hidden.

This is not a photograph about a lion. It is a photograph about what you do when you cannot do what you normally do. He kept walking. Slowly, painfully, but forward. That is all any of us can do in the bad moments — the ones where the work is harder than we want it to be, where the body is not cooperating, where something has gone wrong and there is no quick way out. You move forward. You do not wait to feel better before you move.

This image belongs to The Heart of the Wild. I do not photograph wildlife to document it. I photograph it because the natural world shows us things about ourselves if we watch closely enough. Sometimes the lesson is in a mother carrying her cub. Sometimes it is in four young cheetahs playing at the base of a tree. And sometimes it is in a wounded lion who will not stop walking.

‘‘He kept walking. Slowly, painfully, but forward.’’

Unbroken — 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