The Leopard, The Rock & The Acacia

James Lewin
The Leopard, The Rock & The Acacia
Archival Pigment / Silver Gelatin Print

Available sizes:
18” x 29.52”
28” x 45.92”
38” x 62.32”
48” x 78.73”

Photography is usually about freezing a moment in time, but this image is so much more than that for me. It encapsulates an entire day I will never forget and a lesson: never give up
and always remain patient yet determined. In my experience with leopards, I have found that time spent with them almost always begins and ends in seconds, often too quickly for a photograph. We found this handsome male leopard fast asleep on the edge of this rock at 7:12 a.m. I could never have imagined that I would be sitting in virtually the same position until 7:21 p.m.! 12 hours with a leopard was a first for me and my guide, who has been guiding in the Serengeti for nearly two decades.
Over my years in the wild, I have realized that things don't often go as planned and that the shot of your dreams could be waiting for you around the next corner. I was en route to drop
a friend for a flight when we stumbled upon this leopard. Thankfully, my friend agreed this was far too good of an opportunity and decided that missing his flight was a wise idea. We spent the entire day with almost no food and drank very little water to avoid bathroom breaks, which could have lost the photograph. Would I do it again? 1000 times over!