Throughout William’s work there is usually a feeling of calm, for that is how he endeavours to keep the encounters between him and his wild subjects. Every now and then though something happens that leaves William stunned.
In early 2023 William was staying at Namiri Plains, a beautiful camp in Eastern Serengeti.
"Again this image is all about the angle and perspective, taken as if I were lying in the grass next to them, almost as they mated. This process between male and female often takes up to three days, with regular mating during this time they spend together, away from other lions. Reactions between the lions can often be dramatic and it was this I set about trying to capture.
I knew that once they finished mating lioness’ can often react in a visceral way, biting or snarling at the male. This reaction was one of the harshest I saw over the time I spent with these two though, with flys exploding from his mane and a look of genuine fear on his face.
It was not until I got the print on my computer later that evening that I also noticed the trail of saliva coming from the lioness’ jaws, another extraordinary detail in this shot.”
