Laurent Baheux is a french photographer, born in Poitiers in 1970. Attracted to journalism and editing at first, he rapidly discovered a passion for photography and becoming a self-taught photographer.

From 2002, during a visit to Tanzania, he began private work on the wild fauna, its beauty, strength, roughness and great fragility. He chose black and white, with its play on shadow, light and contrast, to immortalise rare and ephemeral scenes of nature, constantly trying to sublimate the animals, to capture the magnificence of their attitudes, the emotion of their look… Through this authentic quest, Laurent wants to show the vividness of these species which are still alive, but more menaced than ever, and the immense richness that they represent for the planet.

“Black and white allows me to better capture the magnificence of the animals’ attitudes, the emotion of their looks, and the vividness of these species which are still alive, but more menaced than ever, and the immense richness that they represent for the planet.” Laurent Baheux.

A photo posted by Laurent Baheux (@laurentbaheux) on Oct 23, 2014 at 2:43am PDT

Through this authentic quest, Laurent wants to show the vividness of these species which are still alive, but more menaced than ever, and the immense richness that they represent for the planet. In 2013, he was appointed Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for the WILD & PRECIOUS exhibition organized in collaboration with GoodPlanet for the 40 years of the International Convention on the species to extinction.

Laurent’s personal slogan marks the vision about wildlife photography: Inspired by nature since 1970.

In the following selection, we find impressive wildlife images captured by Laurent Baheux. The deep black and white images showcase the innocence and vulnerability of the endangered species from the fragile African fauna. Their character traits revealed by their majesty and intensity of their looks, are deliberately stressed. Sensitive to beauty and awe of their power, I like to confront them in the same visual paradox in their innocence and their vulnerability. African wildlife, full of contrasts between light and shadow, is presented in what is most human, individual sense: If my images help to remember that every animal is an individual in its own right, then I will consider my work serves the animal cause.

Laurent Baheux. The Pictures

Lion in the wind - Serengeti - Tanzania 2007

Zebra with friends - Masaï Mara - Kenya 2014

Lioness and its cub, Masai Mara, Kenya, 2006

Lioness and her cub, Masai Mara, Kenya, 2006

BLACK AND WHITE #WILDLIFE #PORTRAITS BY LAURENT BAHEUX http://t.co/ThTh42ys7I #BW #photography Thanks @laurentbaheux pic.twitter.com/JtyYpuNvm9
— Photography Office (@photoffice) February 19, 2015

Africa. The book

The untameable beauty of a powerful and vulnerable natural environment is presented in this book curated by YellowKorner. The book, at it’s second edition features over 150 photos taken by Laurent Baheux during his many years of reporting. Sculpted by the luminous magic of black and white, each picture offers a poignant facet of this fragile and fascinating continent.

Post by Laurent Baheux photographer.

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