49.7

by Greg du Toit

My whole life I have been fascinated by forests. A few years back myself and two friends trekked through the largest intact indigenous forests left in Kenya. We were camped high up in mountain forests close to the edge of the Great Rift Valley, and lying in my dome tent, I heard lions roar. It was a life changing moment for me as I began to ponder what Africa must have been like a hundred years ago? Did lions really roam forests?

For me the picture of a big male lion standing in a tall dark forest conjures up thoughts of an ultimate and wild Africa. These days, lions have been largely restricted to savannah parks and reserves and there are few places where lions can still be seen inside dense forests. Hence, when I took this image, I was so excited that I began shaking and with a shutter speed of just 1/40th of a second, it was less than ideal. I managed a couple sharp enough shots though, and this image means a great deal to me as it represents an Africa of old, an Africa I long and continue to search for…

Technical Details: 35mm DSLR, 330mm focal length, ISO 100, F4 and 1/40th. Beanbag for support.