When I returned to The Serengeti in October 2022, I was determined to capture a cheetah portrait like no other I had seen before, but I didn't expect to make a portrait excluding my subjects' faces. My usual approach would be to create a striking close-up, much like my photograph "The Huntress of Namiri", taken in the same place the year before. I, however, could not ignore the dramatic late afternoon light and immediately knew it must be a prominent feature.

As we approached, I wasn't confident there could be a photograph, but once in position, I immediately loved the contrast between the peacefully posing cheetahs set against a dramatic African sky.

I captured several frames during this fleeting moment. A handful included both cheetah's faces, but others appeared to me as if they were marvelling at the beauty of the sunlight pouring through the dense clouds above.

Less is often more in photography, and I was drawn to how the viewer could interpret the scene rather than having all the explanations given by the photographer. I captured the scene the way I saw it during that moment, but now the viewer can tell a story of their own.