My aim is not so much to photograph animals, but to capture the emotional life and soul of these beautiful creatures and to apply my own meaning to it. In doing so, I hope to highlight the strong affinity between our species and the rest of the animal kingdom. To prevent any distractions, I take my images of these animals under studio conditions, which requires considerable preparation. On location, we construct several temporary studios equipped with sober, hand-painted backgrounds and a sophisticated, minimalist lighting set-up that focuses all the attention on the individual in front of the lens.The preparation is tailored to the specific and diverse needs of each animal. A secretary bird requires a different approach than a gorilla. During this process, I develop a personal bond with the animal I am photographing a relationship that I aim to share with you through my photography.
I put a lot of time and patience into getting the details right, focusing on the features which reveal the model’s soul a glance, the subtle movement of a hand, the frown in a wrinkled brow... Animals are not easy subjects. It is important to gain their trust and adjust the conditions to suit, so they feel comfortable and can get used to the new smells and their surroundings. I receive help to do this from keepers, biologists and veterinarians, as well as the private individuals, shelters or zoos, such as Pairi Daiza, that look after the animals. I owe all these a huge debt of gratitude.
Careful observers will note that each animal possesses unique individual characteristics, traits and specific be- haviours that set them apart from the others.They experience life as we do, from the aring relationship between mother and child to the playfulness of youth, the impetuosity of puberty, the challenges of adulthood, the wisdom and even the deterioration of old age, and sometimes as in the case of elephants even the awareness of mortality. This again highlights the fact that we are no different from other sentient beings.
The way I present my photographs are a means of encouraging this encounter with “the other being.” They invite the viewer to pause, to enter into a relationship of “me and you” and to experience a moment of deep interpersonal contact between two sentient beings.The viewer is looking at me, amazed, irritated, disinterested, detached or committed.“Something is happening between us.” By focusing on the interpersonal contact, I also aim to tell a wider story about our dealings with nature.We are alienated from it and often avert our gaze, and yet we are an integral part of it. May this series of photographs serve to remind us that it is crucial to protect animals’ natural habitats and ensure that future generations too will be able to look with the same awe upon the beauty that life on our planet has to offer.This is why I have high standards when it comes to choosing the locations where I photograph.They must be characterized by a commitment to nature conservation, scientifically sound breeding pro- grammes for endangered species and wildlife reintroduction programmes.
This pictorial study is the result of more than a decade of working with animals. Consider it an invitation to leave the world of humans behind for a while and to step into their kingdom. Only to then realize and this is my great- est hope—that it is, in fact,“our” kingdom.The world we share together.