Laurent Baheux’s photos of African animals reveal both their majestic and sensitive sides


Beauty of the beasts: Photographer’s striking black-and-white images reveal the magnificence and vulnerability of Africa’s wildest animals

  • Laurent Baheux’s coffee table book is called The Family Album of Wild Africa and is 480 pages long
  • The book includes almost 300 remarkable black-and-white images of animals from lions to hippos
  • Animals are pictured nuzzling and tending to their young as well as looking powerful and majestic in the wild

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There are photographs of African animals and then there are Laurent Baheux‘s photographs of African animals. 

In his coffee table book The Family Album of Wild Africa (by teNeues and YellowCorner), the French photographer showcases a collection of animal images that show their magnificence and lay bare their tender, vulnerable and seemingly sensitive sides.

Animals from cheetahs to elephants have been snapped nuzzling each other, tending to their young, and apparently relishing the landscape in which they live – taking baths, basking in the sun and enjoying a drink at a watering hole.

In the foreword to the book Fedora Parkmann writes: ‘There’s no darkness, no ferocity in the animal portraits captured during his travels… Laurent Baheux advocates for the consideration of animals’ sensitivity.’ 

Some of the photographs feature intimate close-ups of the faces of animals, giving readers of the book the sense that they’re looking right into the animals’ eyes. 

The book’s publisher, teNeues, explains:  ‘Every photograph is so carefully composed and well lit that the details equal the evocative precision of an Old Masters portrait. Through Baheux’s eyes we get close to creatures that will both inspire and humble us all.’ Scroll down for a taster of Baheux’s astonishing images. 

Three lions nuzzle up to each other. Baheux has captured expressions of what looks like pure contentment on their faces as they nestle into each other

A leopard is photographed mid-stride. The foreword to the book explains that Baheux's quest is to capture the 'absolute magnificence' of the animal kingdom

A leopard is photographed mid-stride. The foreword to the book explains that Baheux’s quest is to capture the ‘absolute magnificence’ of the animal kingdom

A baby primate clambers all over an elder. Book publisher teNeues has explained that Baheux's photographs emphasise the subjects’ individual spirits

A baby primate clambers all over an elder. Book publisher teNeues has explained that Baheux’s photographs emphasise the subjects’ individual spirits

A hippo wallows in the water. Many of the photographs in The Family Album of Wild Africa zoom in on the facial expressions of the subjects

A hippo wallows in the water. Many of the photographs in The Family Album of Wild Africa zoom in on the facial expressions of the subjects

A giraffe is snapped looking quizzically at a brash bird that has just landed on its nose. The foreword to the book explains that Baheux tries to capture animals in states that reflect their 'dignity, power and spontaneity'

A giraffe is snapped looking quizzically at a brash bird that has just landed on its nose. The foreword to the book explains that Baheux tries to capture animals in states that reflect their ‘dignity, power and spontaneity’

Baheux captures a hyena as it snaps its head around to look at something behind it. A string of saliva hangs from its lips and its fur is ruffled

Baheux captures a hyena as it snaps its head around to look at something behind it. A string of saliva hangs from its lips and its fur is ruffled

A herd of elephants lumbers along the plains. Four calves try to keep pace with the older members of the group

A herd of elephants lumbers along the plains. Four calves try to keep pace with the older members of the group

A cheetah settles on the grass, looking contemplatively out over the African landscape. The foreword to the book describes how Baheux aims to transpose the 'quiet strength' of animals into his photographs

A cheetah settles on the grass, looking contemplatively out over the African landscape. The foreword to the book describes how Baheux aims to transpose the ‘quiet strength’ of animals into his photographs

Baheux photographs an elephant and two calves through the mist as a bird attempts to take a break on the older elephant's back

Baheux photographs an elephant and two calves through the mist as a bird attempts to take a break on the older elephant’s back

The cover of The Family Album of Wild Africa features a lion gazing out into the distance. This image defines the majesty of animals that Baheux has tried to capture in the images of the book

The Family Album of Wild Africa by Laurent Baheux, published by teNeues and YellowKorner

The Family Album of Wild Africa by Laurent Baheux is published by teNeues and YellowKorner and costs €98. Visit www.teneues.com and www.yellowkorner.com for more.  

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