Hot Legs 2, Namibia

Signed, dated, and numbered from edition of 12 on recto. Signed, titled, dated, and editioned on certificate of authenticity.

Frame: 74 x 71 inches

My predilection when photographing wildlife is to look to emphasise the most dominant characteristic of that animal. With a male silverback gorilla for instance, I want to convey a sense of upper body strength and with a zebra I will play with the stripes. With a cheetah, I could go for speed – which is a little hackneyed – or focus on what generates that speed – the legs.

That’s the thing about cheetahs – they really do have an extraordinary shape which is rarely captured on film as the camera is not at ground level. However, if that perspective can be fully achieved, the viewer is left in no doubt that the cheetah is really all legs, with a little head and a little body. No wonder it is the fastest animal on earth. – David Yarrow