Pen and Ink – Limited Edition Print

Cheetah, Kicheche Camp, Kenya, 2019

As Packham puts it, this photograph exists thanks to wildlife ‘for once doing what it’s told.’ Driving around the Maasai Mara National Reserve in south-west Kenya, the photographer happened upon a scene that held the potential for a composition he’d imagined. Five cheetahs lay under a tree, hiding from the high, brutal midday sun. The stark, solitary tree was perfect, but Packham only needed one cheetah, which he’d envisioned stalking out along the tree’s shadow as along a catwalk, thereby remaining visually anchored to the tree. 

Packham waited, watching for the sign. ‘Cats yawn before they leave; I knew that if they started yawning, I’d better get ready.’ A wave of yawns moved through the pack, then one cheetah left, and the rest followed. As the other people in the vehicle turned their cameras towards the departing pack, Packham stayed fixed on the lone straggler. It stood, stretched, and followed the rest at the precise distance necessary for Packham to capture it on its own yet still in the shade of the tree. 

On the back of the camera the file was a pink, low-contrast smear, the familiar appearance of infrared before it is treated into shape. Back at camp, he downloaded it immediately, and was satisfied to find that nature had briefly aligned with the picture in his mind. 

Prices and sizes available on enquiry. Contact gallery@iconicimages.net

• Edition of 6
• Signed and numbered on the front by Chris Packham
• Printed on Hahnemühle hemp paper