An Irish photographer has created a spectacular series of wildlife images after decades spent travelling the world.
Graeme Purdy has managed to take photographs of some of world’s most stunning – and terrifying -creatures.
He has now decided to publish some of his most striking photos in a new book, Eight Feet – so called because he took the majority of his pictures from a mere eight feet away from the animals.
Purdy said: “This type of photography is challenging, unpredictable and rarely seen.
“I feel extremely honoured to have been able to gain enough of the animal’s trust in order to photograph from inside their world.
“First and foremost, I’m extremely passionate about animal welfare and conservation.
“It’s my hope that, through my photography and sales of the book, people can enjoy these wonderful animals for years to come.”
Purdy has taken stunning images of lions, elephants, leopards, gorillas, buffalo and more.
Each of his images comes with a description from Purdy, who hopes this will help readers get a feel of the personalities of the animals in the image.
He said: “It was not my original intention to provide a narrative for each image, but it felt such an injustice to try and present these animals’ stories with only an image. I felt these animals deserved more.
“I was first inspired by my father and uncle who always had a camera in hand.
“As I grew up I decided my preference was to be on the other side of the camera, pressing the shutter and not performing the role of reluctant subject.”
Proceeds of the book will be donated to National Park Rescue, a charity that helps protect African wildlife.
Take a look at the images below.
Written by Michael Kehoe @michaelcalling