Michael Wilkins
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Black and white photograph of a Samoyed lying against a black background, head tipped back mid-yawn with its mouth wide open, thick white coat catching the light.

The Yawn

London · October 2024

1D X Mark II, 50 millimetres, f 2.8, 1/250 of a second, ISO 100

Not a snarl. Ten seconds into a photo session and already bored.

Alaska, mid-yawn, about ten seconds into a session she had not agreed to. Shot against black so the coat had to carry the whole frame — a Samoyed is essentially a lighting problem, all that white fur one stop away from blowing out. Monochrome because there was no colour in the picture worth keeping. It looks ferocious and she is the least ferocious animal I have ever met.