The Gentlemen’s Club, Chyulu Hills, Kenya.
Medium: Pigment/Inkjet, Silver Gelatin
Year: 2020
Finding myself just 2 metres from such giants while they drink as if I were not even there is a memory that will stick with me forever. One Ton, to the right, is one of the largest 20 or so elephants in Africa. He is without doubt the King of The Chyulu Hills and he is greeted with an immense amount of awe and respect by all animals and humans that are lucky enough to lay eyes on him. Meeting a Big Tusker in the 21st Century is nothing short of a miracle and a privilege to behold. This image would not have been possible without Richard Bonham, the co-founder and CEO of Big Life Foundation who knows this elephant better than anyone. Their friendship has grown for more than two decades and One Ton often visits Richard to say hello and to have a drink in what was previously a swimming pool, which now created the opportunity for this photograph. The making of this image has to be one of my favourites of all time. It is an indescribable feeling sitting right beneath an elephant of this size and stature; being so close that I feel the air leaving his trunk and splashes of water as his trunk swashes around the water before taking another drink.