The French photographer Laurent Baheux dedicates

his new book to the "King of the Animals"--the lion。

Breathtaking black-and-white images create a powerful

portrait of one of the most majestic and endangered

species in the world。



Think of lions and one might think of the powerful member

of the "Big Five，" with a roar that echoes across the planes，

and a merciless pursuit of its prey。 One might think of the

pack animal， surprisingly playful and affectionate within its

pride。 Or one might think of the endangered lion--long the

target of hunters and trophy collectors。



In this new photo book， Laurent Baheux journeys across

Africa to capture the lion in all its intricate facets。 The

result is a sensitive and intimate photo portrait that

shows the big cat in all its nuance: at once powerful，

fragile， and tender。 Baheux's stunning black-and-white

lion photographs show this feline animal with the precision

and texture of a studio portrait--its many different

movements， postures， behaviors， and expressions captured

with startling intimacy。



Playing among the pride， out hunting its prey， or eyeing us

directly from the page， Baheux's lion photography is as

much a tribute to the lion's character， power， and feeling as

it is a haunting reminder that this most impressive of animals is also among the most endangered wildlife on earth。



For over 15 years， Laurent Baheux has been creating a

collection of monochrome wildlife photographs， characterized by a contrasting， condensed style。 With a unique approach that overrides the laws of nature photography， Baheux seeks to capture the character of each animal as an individual。 He is actively involved with environmental organizations， including the World Wildlife Fund （WWF） and the Jane Goodall Institute。 In 2013， he served as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Environment Program （UNEP） in the Wild & Precious campaign against poaching。 His photographs are shown

in galleries and exhibitions in his native France and

abroad and are the subject of numerous books and

publications。