The basis of the project is using long-focus optics — because of the considerable distance required for shooting, it allows the photographer to observe from afar, entering the personal space of the subject. Depicted zoo animals are kind of celebrities, favoured by the public, who photograph them from the most attractive and impressive angle. In the series, however, moments are shown when the personal, relating to the character of a particular animal, glimmered. This shoot reveals the idea of sharing control over the image between the photographer and the model — the image is formed without active interference in the process of self-expression of the one posing.

The project is an homage to Anton Corbijn’s style of work, which is highly recognisable — black and white images with pronounced grain, close-up shots taken with a long-focus lens, predominantly square format, often with blurred foregrounds. When shooting, he strives to equalise the involvement of both the photographer and the model, without allowing either party to fully control what is happening in the frame. To summarise his working method, Corbijn says: «I make the stars look interesting, not beautiful».