Laurent Baheux

My first exhibition oriented towards raising awareness was in 2008 in Paris. That was the first time I felt like I actually did something related to wildlife protection, and ever since that time, I haven't stopped.

Many photographers get involved with the people whom they take pictures of; others prefer being observers, keeping a certain distance.

For me, Africa is a land of light and contrast. Black and white is the best way to express the solitary emotion and vitality of wildlife.

All I want to do is to present the abundance of life on Earth.

I started photographing amazing African wildlife for my own pleasure. It was like a much-needed antidote to my life in the city, which I was fast becoming allergic to.

Since I was a kid, I inherited my dad's love for animals and wildlife, even for the ones we had around the house in the French countryside, a 'smaller' kind of nature. Then, as I grew up, I looked more deeply into the African continent and its wildlife.

We need to recover our true nature by relocating ourselves on this planet, being respectful of our environment, and living in harmony with other species - like a big family.

Noise does not disturb me, as I think that it gives a quaint atmosphere to a picture that fully matches my vision of nature and the wild species I like to photograph.

Sometimes, I am lucky because all factors are combined - composition, light, emotion - and sometimes not. Most of the time, I must be patient and wait.