Bloodline, by Drew Doggett

From the artist:

"After several hours of trekking that felt like walking through quicksand, we rounded the corner and came face to face with an animal that bears a resemblance to us as humans - only not at all. This encounter was beautiful and surreal, magic and distant...yet, somehow, familiar.

Finally, we are among the Gorilla beringei beringei - the mountain gorilla.

Specifically, we were among the Sousa family. They are one of the largest habituated families of gorillas clocking in at nearly 20 members, and it was as if we had opened a door to another world, eerily similar to our own. I instinctively grabbed my camera and began photographing them down the path from where I stood.

Out of nowhere, a deep cry echoed through the jungle jolting me back into reality. In an extraordinary display of dominance, the silverback of the group took off at full tilt in the direction of another large male. Plants crashed around him as he ran and the others quickly followed as part of their duty as members of the Sousa family. The chest beating and calls of the gorillas echoed up into the jungle reverberating around the mountains.

In a rush to get to the source of the commotion, one of the 500-pound male gorillas got so close to me that I could feel the movement of air in his wake. The rest followed, some even brushing my arms and camera as I stood to the side of the narrow path to let them pass.

It wasn’t until they disappeared into the mist that I finally exhaled, grounding myself back in reality."

Exceptional Creatures is a limited edition print series documenting the most extraordinary animals roaming our Earth.

From a limited edition, this work is printed on Hahnemühle Fine Art Baryta paper, which sets the standard for image definition and color depth. Each print includes an embossed certificate of authenticity and is signed + numbered.