I have been working with Kevin Richardson’s lions in South Africa with remote-control units for about six years now. We have had some good moments, and the front cover of my last book featured this lioness—Meg— coming through the grass with the first rays of sunlight. It was exactly the same recipe with this image, which was taken as part of Nikon’s media promotion for its new D850.

I am often asked two questions about my collaboration with Kevin: How can I monitor what the camera has taken given that I can’t be outside a
jeep with these big cats wandering around? And how can our collaboration help the plight of the African lion?

Clearly the second question is far more important than the first. However, with regard to the first question, I tend to work in manual focus and prejudge the focal plane where ideally I want to take the picture. I will never know until the camera is back in my hands whether I have an image. About 98 percent of
 the time, for one reason or another, there is no picture. That’s what makes immersive images like this one special. Meg’s facial features are so sharp.

The answer to the second question is twofold. First, Kevin has a big say in the future of the African lion through his sanctuary and charitable activities and we hope to continue supporting him. Second, I hope my photographs of the lions at his sanctuary are sufficiently emotive that they remind us all of the big cat’s beauty and intelligence. The lion needs help, and I hope my work raises awareness and encourages action.