When They Are Free
Andrey Gudkov
Can wild animals be photographed in a studio? How can the classic, staged aesthetics of studio photography, with its controlled lighting, be combined with the genuine presence of wild animals? These questions inspired the project When They Are Free. Two main challenges quickly emerged: creative and technical.
Having spent more than 20 years photographing animals in their natural habitats, travelling to over 40 countries and building an extensive archive of wildlife images, I began the process of selection. The chosen photographs needed to be both highly representative and captured at their strongest moments, through striking behaviour, expressive presence, distinctive portraits, natural interactions, or rare encounters between species. Every detail mattered: posture, expression, gaze, and any defining or uncommon gesture.
Lighting was equally crucial. Each image had to suggest studio conditions, with depth and dramatic clarity. Once selected, the animals were carefully separated from their natural environments, allowing full focus on the subject. The backgrounds were replaced with black or white to enhance volume and achieve a studio-like presence. All processing was done manually using traditional editing techniques, without the use of AI.
The final project comprises 43 photographs taken across 17 countries, many featuring rare or endangered species. When They Are Free was featured in Wildlife Photographic magazine in the United States in March and September 2025.
Cheetah on a treePOS AG 759 1$800
Japanese Crane DancePOS AG 759 2$500
Portrait of MarabouPOS AG 759 3
Lioness in a treePOS AG 759 4$800
Two ChameleonsPOS AG 759 5$1,200
Portrait of a Ring-tailed lemurPOS AG 759 6
Orangutan portraitPOS AG 759 7
High RelationsPOS AG 759 8$800
Elephant GamesPOS AG 759 9$800
Portrait of a Southern Ground Crow and a Hyacinth MacawPOS AG 759 10
TendernessPOS AG 759 11$800
Two Komodo dragons fightingPOS AG 759 12
TrioPOS AG 759 13$800
Portrait of two ToucansPOS AG 759 14$800
Caribbean flamingo on a nest with a chickPOS AG 759 15$1,200
Dance of PassionPOS AG 759 16$800
Steller's sea eaglePOS AG 759 17$500
Portrait of a marine iguanaPOS AG 759 18$800
Eye to eyePOS AG 759 19$500
Striped GamesPOS AG 759 20$800
Serious thoughtsPOS AG 759 21
Portrait of giraffesPOS AG 759 22$800
Pangolin portraitPOS AG 759 23$800
Portrait of a lionessPOS AG 759 24$800
Brotherly bondsPOS AG 759 25$800
Leopard on a treePOS AG 759 26$800
Hello, friendPOS AG 759 27
CommunicationPOS AG 759 28$800