Flywheel Gallery · Piermont, NY
August 20 – September 13, 2026 · Laikipia & the Maasai Mara
An intimate look at the power, beauty, and intelligence of Africa’s iconic animals.
Featured Species
Twenty-two frames from the Laikipia savanna — field notes, behavior, and species portraits. Click any image to view full size.
Fig. 01 · Lion
Crown of the grasslands, where silence breaks into thunder.
Laikipia, Kenya
Male lions defend territory through roaring and scent-marking; when prey appears, lionesses fan into coordinated ambushes while males often anchor the kill on larger game like buffalo.
Fig. 02 · Elephant
Ancient memory walks the earth on pillars of dust and grace.
Laikipia, Kenya
Cow elephants carry calves 22 months and nurse for years — juveniles learn water routes, migration paths, and social bonds through the matriarch’s decades of memory.
Fig. 03 · Giraffe
Tall silhouettes stitch the horizon to the acacia canopy.
Laikipia, Kenya
Bulls deliver powerful necking blows to rivals; browsing high in the acacia canopy, giraffes reach leaves no other herbivore can — spreading seeds across the plain as they wander.
Fig. 04 · Cheetah
A breath of spotted lightning across the open plain.
Laikipia, Kenya
Diurnal hunters built for speed, not stamina — cheetahs stalk to within 100 meters then explode past 60 mph, tripping prey with a dewclaw swipe before lions or hyenas can steal the kill.
Fig. 05 · Lion Pride
Twin voices rise above the grass — territory claimed in sound and fire.
Laikipia, Kenya
A pride shares territory through communal roaring at dawn and dusk; females often synchronize births so cubs are raised together, nursing in crèches while mothers hunt.
Fig. 06 · Lioness
Quiet strength — the huntress who holds the pride together.
Laikipia, Kenya
Females hunt in formation — one flushes prey toward others lying in wait; a successful kill feeds the entire pride, with males eating first at larger carcasses.
Fig. 07 · Cape Buffalo
The black tide — power tempered by the wisdom of the herd.
Laikipia, Kenya
When threatened, adults form a defensive ring horns-outward with calves inside; old bulls cast from the herd graze alone — among the most formidable prey lions will attempt.
Fig. 08 · Leopard
Spotted shadow — patience perfected in every muscle.
Laikipia, Kenya
Solitary ambush hunters that haul kills into trees to keep them from hyenas; each leopard holds a territory marked by claw-raked bark and scent, overlapping just enough for brief mating encounters.
Fig. 09 · Leopard
A Mother and Son crossing ancient volcanic rock.
Laikipia, Kenya
Leopards are fiercely solitary — pairs appear only during breeding or when a mother guides a nearly grown cub, a brief alliance before each claims its own range again.
Fig. 10 · Lioness
Lean and watchful — learning the stalk that will one day feed the pride.
Laikipia, Kenya
Young lionesses remain with the pride for life, shadowing older females on hunts and refining the cooperative tactics that make lionesses among Africa’s most successful predators.
Fig. 11 · Lion Cub
Up is easy. Finding the way back down is another matter.
Laikipia, Kenya
Young lions are far more adventurous than they are experienced. Climbing into a tree is often easy. Climbing back down is another matter. This curious cub spent several anxious minutes searching for a safe route to the ground, a reminder that even Africa’s future kings have to learn by trial and error.
Fig. 12 · Lion Pride
A lioness leads her cubs down the track at golden hour.
Laikipia, Kenya
A lioness teaches cubs to follow scent trails and stay silent on the way to join the rest of the pride; after a night hunt she leads them to water at dawn, reinforcing the routes they will use for life.
Fig. 13 · Young Lions
Sub-adults at twilight — the pride’s next generation finding its place.
Laikipia, Kenya
These young lions have been well fed and are ready to bed down for the night. Remnants of the meal still cling to their coats and muzzles.
Fig. 14 · Cheetah
Territorial scent-marking — a tree that speaks to every cheetah passing through.
Laikipia, Kenya
This is most likely territorial scent-marking — especially if the cat sniffed the tree beforehand or sprayed urine afterward. Such trees become communication hubs, visited again and again by multiple cheetahs over months or even years, each leaving a chemical message the next passerby reads.
Fig. 15 · Cheetah
Stillness before the hunt — every muscle quiet, every sense locked on.
Laikipia, Kenya
This cheetah is not recovering from a chase — she is resting on the brink of one, having tracked an impala for the last hour. In the tall grass she waits, reading the wind and the herd, saving her speed for the moment the distance finally closes.
Fig. 16 · Cheetah
Lean stride across red earth — every step measured, every sense alert.
Laikipia, Kenya
Cheetahs hunt by day using sharp eyesight — they read the wind, approach downwind, and choose open ground where a short burst can close the gap before prey detects them.
Fig. 17 · Cheetah
Four small heads above the grass — curiosity outpacing caution.
Laikipia, Kenya
Mothers bring live prey back for cubs to practice the killing bite; full participation in hunts begins around eighteen months when timing and coordination mature.
Fig. 18 · Cheetah
Mother on watch — the cub learns stillness before it learns speed.
Laikipia, Kenya
Lone mothers raise litters without male help, relocating dens every few days so lions and hyenas cannot follow the scent trail back to vulnerable cubs.
Fig. 19 · Cheetah
Side by side in the grass — a portrait of dependence and vigilance.
Laikipia, Kenya
Cubs stay with the mother up to eighteen months, learning to read terrain, wind direction, and prey behavior before dispersing to claim solo hunting territories.
Fig. 20 · Impala
Mid-leap through golden grass — stotting as signal and escape.
Laikipia, Kenya
Stotting — the stiff-legged leap — may signal fitness to a chasing predator or warn the herd; either way it buys seconds that can mean the difference between capture and escape.
Fig. 21 · Baboon
Splash and stride — intelligence written in every bound through the marsh.
Laikipia, Kenya
Troops forage in rank order with dominant males eating first; sentries from the treetops bark alarm at leopards and eagles while the troop retreats to rocky refuges.
Fig. 22 · Vervet Monkey
Canopy watch — small hands, sharp eyes, endless curiosity.
Laikipia, Kenya
Distinct alarm calls signal different predators — eagle, snake, or leopard — letting the troop respond with the right escape; juveniles learn call meanings by watching adults react.
From the Photographer
Harry Martin on why the greatest wildlife photographs are stories of behavior — and why if you’re not reading what happens next, you’ve already missed it.
“People often ask what makes a great wildlife photograph. It isn’t just the animal. It’s their behavior. A lion sitting in the grass is a nice picture. A lion sniffing the air, a mother cheetah teaching her cub, or an elephant matriarch protecting her herd tells a real story. Anticipating key moments and being ready for them is more important than any gear you carry in your camera bag.”
— Harry Martin
Portrait Studies
Three additional frames from the Laikipia archive — cropped and composed as vertical portrait studies. Click any image to view full size.
Study 01 · Cheetah
Golden grass, open sky — a brief calm before the next hunt.
Laikipia, Kenya
During a chase the flexible spine acts like a spring — each stride can span seven meters, letting the cheetah change direction faster than any prey it pursues.
Study 02 · Impala
Lyre horns and liquid stride — the savanna's most elegant antelope.
Laikipia, Kenya
The most abundant antelope on the plain — herds of hundreds form the central prey base sustaining leopards, cheetahs, lions, and wild dogs across the food chain.
Study 03 · Lion Pride
Dusk settles over the plain as the pride regroups in silence.
Laikipia, Kenya
Related females stay in the pride for life while males rotate every few years — the core of mothers and daughters holds territory knowledge across generations.
Gallery
A curated procession from the July 2026 archive — behavior, kinship, and the animals of Laikipia and the Maasai Mara. Click any frame to enter the slideshow.
109 photographs · Archival pigment prints
Fine Art
All monochrome prints from the July archive — form, texture, and light in a single collection. Click any frame for the slideshow.
7 photographs · Archival pigment prints
Landscapes
Wide horizons, weather, and the quiet geometry of Kenya’s high plains — shown in full, without crop.
13 photographs · Archival pigment prints
Celestial
Long-exposure frames from night-sky time lapses — the Milky Way wheeling above Laikipia’s silent hills.
4 time-lapse stills · Archival pigment prints
Behind the Lens
Emmy-winning journalist, biologist, and lifelong observer of the natural world.
Harry Martin’s fascination with photography began at the age of seven when he picked up his first camera. That early curiosity grew into a lifelong passion for capturing moments that tell compelling stories.
Although best known professionally as a two-time Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist, Harry never lost his love for photography. While his career placed him in front of the camera, his greatest satisfaction has always come from being behind the lens, observing and documenting the natural world.
Harry holds a double degree in Biology and Psychology, with a concentration in the study of the biological basis of behavior. His academic work focused extensively on animal behavior, giving him a deeper understanding of the instincts, social structures, and interactions that shape life in the wild. That scientific perspective continues to influence his photography, allowing him to anticipate and capture meaningful behavioral moments rather than simply beautiful portraits.
Africa became the perfect intersection of Harry’s lifelong interests. Since his first journey in 2008, he has returned to Kenya on three expeditions, documenting wildlife in its natural environment and capturing not only its beauty but the remarkable behaviors that define each species.
This collection brings together work from 2008 through 2026, spanning three separate journeys across Kenya. Together, these images celebrate the intelligence, emotion, and extraordinary behaviors of Africa’s iconic wildlife through the eyes of both a scientist and a storyteller.
Press & Praise
“Martin doesn’t photograph animals — he photographs decisions. Every frame feels earned, as if the shutter clicked a breath before the moment the rest of us would have missed.”
“A rare combination of scientific curiosity and pure lyricism. These Laikipia images carry the heat, dust, and silence of the plain straight into the gallery.”
“Wild Africa is the work of a patient observer who understands that the greatest portraits in nature are never posed — they are witnessed.”
About the Exhibition
Wild Africa is a fine art photography exhibition by Harry Martin — a visual meditation on intelligence, resilience, and the fragile beauty of Kenya’s Laikipia landscape.
Archival pigment prints · Flywheel Gallery · August 20 – September 13, 2026
Visit
Experience large-format prints and field notes from Harry Martin at Flywheel Gallery. Opening reception details to be announced.
Gallery
Flywheel Gallery
Photographer
Harry Martin
Opening Reception
TBA
Exhibition Dates
August 20 – September 13, 2026
Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Location
Flywheel Gallery
Piermont, NY
