Aaaww!

As a photographer, there is one thing I strive for above all else: emotion. The strongest and most impactful photographs are the ones that evoke an emotional response from the viewer. It doesn't really matter what the emotion is -- whether a photo makes you feel happy, sad, angry, scared, repulsed or some other feeling is not the point. The fact that you felt something, and hopefully something strong, is what matters.

That's the number one goal I have with each and every photo I take: I try to elicit an emotion. Many times, I don't succeed and an image turns out to be plain and lacks the magic I'm looking for. But sometimes, when everything goes right, my efforts are rewarded with an image that has that special touch. Recently, I was able to capture one such image. (See? Even I can do something right sometimes!) I've shown it to several people, and right away they all basically said the same thing: "Aaaww! That's so cute!" That's exactly what I felt when I first took the photo, and it is precisely the emotion I was going for. Success!

For me, this image symbolizes warmth and love. Notice how the mighty king of the jungle is scrunching up his face in anticipation of a cuddle from his lioness? Aaaww! Even tough guys can have soft spots in their hearts. Love conquers all, baby.

As always, the larger version can be seen here in my Fine Art Galleries.