Stunning Close-Up Portraits of Wild Animals

Photographer Brad Wilson gets in close to his wild subjects, capturing intimate portraits of diverse animals in his series titled Affinity. Similar to the work of Wolf Ademeit, Wilson isolates his subjects by placing them against black backdrops. The result is a collection of stunning portraits of a wide variety of animals from intriguing angles. The series manages to capture the expressive features of each species that is both eye-catching and artistic.

Though many of the animals are wild beasts, the photographer does all of his work outside of the wilderness. The animals are, in fact, transported to a studio where Wilson is able to focus solely on them. With the assurance that these creatures have been trained not to attack him, the photographer proceeds to snap shots of them from only a few feet away. Of course, there are several measures that still have to be taken so as to keep the subjects in check, from moderate lighting changes to the foot traffic on set. Additionally, the animals were accompanied by trainers and given rewards in the form of edible treats throughout the shoot.

Top photo: Mountain Lion

Zebra