Sovereign

An archival silver gelatin print on resin coated paper by wildlife photographer and autism activist, Alfie Bowen.

On capturing this ferocious photograph, activist and now author Alfie Bowen noted: “He was elusive, and the time-frame in which to make the image was short, I fired just three frames. The behaviour of this lion was completely out of my control, but he complied for two minutes, and, amongst a torrent of emotion, I pressed the trigger. It is a special image of a special animal. You can count the hairs on his face and I doubt anyone will not feel moved by the emotional energy in his face. We must do all we can to secure the future of these beautiful beings.”

For nature photographer and environmental activist Alfie Bowen, the world was a scary place when he was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder at a young age. Despite the many challenges he faced throughout his life, he discovered his passion for animals and photography and launched his first signed limited edition collection with Castle Fine Art in 2021; discover the collection ). This stunning piece from his second collection accompanies the release of his own where he discusses how his autism has helped him in his career and features foreword by world-renowned naturalist, photographer and TV presenter Chris Packham.

Developed in the 19th century, silver gelatin prints are one of the oldest and most effective photography printing techniques used across history and the world. The intricate details of Alfie’s black and white photographs are perfectly captured and translated from the his camera to paper via this technique. The luxurious print allows the whites to be crispier and the blacks darker, enhancing the  entire appearance of the photograph greater than any other standard print would allow. Combined with the bespoke black pine and spruce frame, this limited edition photograph is truly a work of art. 

You can view this piece alongside the rest of the collection or, alternatively, watch a video about the artist .