Six Kings
Maasai Mara Kenya 2012-2017
An edition of 50 in all sizes
Six Kings are six iconic lions of the Maasai Mara: Caesar, Morani, Notch, Lipstick, Lolparpit and Scar.
The motivation behind making this picture is to emphasise the uniqueness and identity that each lion possesses. Lions are not of one entity as commonly held by most people, but of separate entities in the own right, each with their own appearance, personality and emotions. In other words, as much as we view ourselves. It is my hope that this picture demonstrates that truth.
Regular visitors to Kenya's Maasai Mara will be undoubtedly familiar with these faces so it seems appropriate to recognise these six in a picture of portraits of some of the mightiest lions to have lived their lives in the Maasai Mara.
Notch was born into the Marsh Pride in about 1998 and of his four sons, Caesar is represented here too. Notch had already vacated the pride when Scar and Morani, two of the four Musketeers, took over for a time before moving east to Serena. In 2013 the Maasai Mara saw Lipstick arrive with his brother Blackie before they departed in 2018. Lolparpit had the title of the Maasai Mara's oldest lion before he died in 2020 at the grand age of 16. Of the six, Scar and Morani are still with us, albeit in their twilight years.
Notch was the earliest lion portrait I made, in 2011. It's the only picture here with something of a crop, it was necessary to include him in the six. The other five are presented here as the camera saw them, all with the intent of making the portrait in order to capture the individualities, with minimal cropping away of details. I photographed Morani in 2012 and his was the first taken as a true portrait and the one that began my quest for more. Caesar was taken in 2014, Scar and Lolparpit followed in 2017 and then Lipstick in 2018 during my final encounter with him.
Maasai Mara Kenya 2012-2017
An edition of 50 in all sizes
Six Kings are six iconic lions of the Maasai Mara: Caesar, Morani, Notch, Lipstick, Lolparpit and Scar.
The motivation behind making this picture is to emphasise the uniqueness and identity that each lion possesses. Lions are not of one entity as commonly held by most people, but of separate entities in the own right, each with their own appearance, personality and emotions. In other words, as much as we view ourselves. It is my hope that this picture demonstrates that truth.
Regular visitors to Kenya's Maasai Mara will be undoubtedly familiar with these faces so it seems appropriate to recognise these six in a picture of portraits of some of the mightiest lions to have lived their lives in the Maasai Mara.
Notch was born into the Marsh Pride in about 1998 and of his four sons, Caesar is represented here too. Notch had already vacated the pride when Scar and Morani, two of the four Musketeers, took over for a time before moving east to Serena. In 2013 the Maasai Mara saw Lipstick arrive with his brother Blackie before they departed in 2018. Lolparpit had the title of the Maasai Mara's oldest lion before he died in 2020 at the grand age of 16. Of the six, Scar and Morani are still with us, albeit in their twilight years.
Notch was the earliest lion portrait I made, in 2011. It's the only picture here with something of a crop, it was necessary to include him in the six. The other five are presented here as the camera saw them, all with the intent of making the portrait in order to capture the individualities, with minimal cropping away of details. I photographed Morani in 2012 and his was the first taken as a true portrait and the one that began my quest for more. Caesar was taken in 2014, Scar and Lolparpit followed in 2017 and then Lipstick in 2018 during my final encounter with him.
Maasai Mara Kenya 2012-2017
An edition of 50 in all sizes
Six Kings are six iconic lions of the Maasai Mara: Caesar, Morani, Notch, Lipstick, Lolparpit and Scar.
The motivation behind making this picture is to emphasise the uniqueness and identity that each lion possesses. Lions are not of one entity as commonly held by most people, but of separate entities in the own right, each with their own appearance, personality and emotions. In other words, as much as we view ourselves. It is my hope that this picture demonstrates that truth.
Regular visitors to Kenya's Maasai Mara will be undoubtedly familiar with these faces so it seems appropriate to recognise these six in a picture of portraits of some of the mightiest lions to have lived their lives in the Maasai Mara.
Notch was born into the Marsh Pride in about 1998 and of his four sons, Caesar is represented here too. Notch had already vacated the pride when Scar and Morani, two of the four Musketeers, took over for a time before moving east to Serena. In 2013 the Maasai Mara saw Lipstick arrive with his brother Blackie before they departed in 2018. Lolparpit had the title of the Maasai Mara's oldest lion before he died in 2020 at the grand age of 16. Of the six, Scar and Morani are still with us, albeit in their twilight years.
Notch was the earliest lion portrait I made, in 2011. It's the only picture here with something of a crop, it was necessary to include him in the six. The other five are presented here as the camera saw them, all with the intent of making the portrait in order to capture the individualities, with minimal cropping away of details. I photographed Morani in 2012 and his was the first taken as a true portrait and the one that began my quest for more. Caesar was taken in 2014, Scar and Lolparpit followed in 2017 and then Lipstick in 2018 during my final encounter with him.