Covered from head-to-toe in body paint, these brave models blend in perfectly alongside a succession of wild animals. After seven-hours in make-up over four days, they look completely at home whether tangling with a 12ft-long python, staring down cheetahs, or riding on the back of an elephant. The bizarre images were taken by wildlife photographer Lennette Newell and form part of her ‘Ani-Human’ series of portraits.
Growing up the daughter of a vet in San Francisco, her childhood dream was to become one of the animals her father used to treat. Some four decades later, the 52-year-old artist has finally realised her ambition – with the help of models who have nerves of steel. Ms Newell said: “I wanted to show humans and their animal brothers in a new light that we maybe hadn’t been seen before.”
A great amount of care was taken to ensure that the animals were treated humanely during the shoot. Ms Newell said: “Each of the animals came with their trainers and every second they were observed and watched whenever the models came in contact with the animals. Some like Susie the elephant were fine to work with, the only problem she posed was how to get the model Kaela on top. In the end we used a long ladder and then we set about photographing inside the mammoth studios. For another model, Jasmina, and the cheetah and tigers it was bit different. We had to make sure that they were comfortable around her and that she had ample time to make a getaway should they become uncomfortable.”
But the fun project had a serious side as it is meant to remind viewers that man is an animal himself. “I think that we forget our origins as animals ourselves,” Ms Newell said. “We need to reconnect with nature and we should be closer to the animals that live on this world. We should look on these pictures as something more natural and not as odd as they might first seem. I used to fantasise about being the animals that my father used to treat and now with this project I am a little closer.”
Working with 75lb snakes and playful tigers proved difficult for the thin female models. Ms Newell said: “The tigers just wanted to play, but with their claws and the fact that Jasmina was naked, it was a problem for her obviously. But that aside, the cats were watched at all times and everyone had a great time during the shoot.”
