1st place
gold star award
William Fortescue
united kingdom 
Photo © William Fortescue
title
Romance is Dead
Three years ago it was the fighting bull elephants that resulted in Rumble in the Jungle, the now sold out print, this year it was this moment between a lion and lioness.
This image is all about the angle and perspective, the scene feeling all the more dramatic thanks to William's eye level position.
The matring 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 William set about trying to capture.
“I knew that upon completion of mating lioness’ could 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.”
Romance is Dead is William’s most dynamic shot to date and has received two major international awards prior to its print release. More news on these will be released later this year.
With an instantly recognisable style, William’s internationally acclaimed work has sold around the world and been utilised to raise vital funding for a variety of charitable organisations as well as being included in the globally renowned fundraiser, Prints for Wildlife. To date his work has raised over £110,000 for a variety of charitable causes.
Now 30, William has carved his path in one of the most competitive industries going while living in his home city, London, where his work hangs along side the likes of Banksy and Damien Hirst at a collection of London art galleries.
“For me photography has always been a form of expression, an attempt to explain to everyone how you see the world around you. Having originally discovered photography through sport, it was in my late teens I switched to working with wildlife and I’ve never looked back.
Even now, eleven years after I first picked up a camera, the buzz I get when everything’s fallen in to place and we get ‘the’ shot of a wild animal is unbeatable. Hopefully that remains the case for as long as I have a camera in my hand.”
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entry description
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.Three years ago it was the fighting bull elephants that resulted in Rumble in the Jungle, the now sold out print, this year it was this moment between a lion and lioness.
This image is all about the angle and perspective, the scene feeling all the more dramatic thanks to William's eye level position.
The matring 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 William set about trying to capture.
“I knew that upon completion of mating lioness’ could 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.”
Romance is Dead is William’s most dynamic shot to date and has received two major international awards prior to its print release. More news on these will be released later this year.
about the photographer
The cornerstone of William’s photography is the desire to depict wild animals in their natural environment; “My presence should have no great influence on their behaviour for in doing so the image will no longer be what I strive for; natural”.With an instantly recognisable style, William’s internationally acclaimed work has sold around the world and been utilised to raise vital funding for a variety of charitable organisations as well as being included in the globally renowned fundraiser, Prints for Wildlife. To date his work has raised over £110,000 for a variety of charitable causes.
Now 30, William has carved his path in one of the most competitive industries going while living in his home city, London, where his work hangs along side the likes of Banksy and Damien Hirst at a collection of London art galleries.
“For me photography has always been a form of expression, an attempt to explain to everyone how you see the world around you. Having originally discovered photography through sport, it was in my late teens I switched to working with wildlife and I’ve never looked back.
Even now, eleven years after I first picked up a camera, the buzz I get when everything’s fallen in to place and we get ‘the’ shot of a wild animal is unbeatable. Hopefully that remains the case for as long as I have a camera in my hand.”
back to gallery
