Another pair of mating lions, asleep in a sun-splashed forest, are alone except for a photographer and his guide. They were oblivious to my presence when awake, and dozed off within a few moments after coupling. Of all the images I made in Africa, this is one of the most idyllic, a study of the natural world in a timeless and memorable context. I made many images of this scene, and as I shot version after version, I found that placing the lions in the lower left hand corner of the frame created the most expressive relationship with the leafy context. Although they are inert, the lions create a diagonal stepping-stone that pulls the eye into the lush environment, making this image represent a veritable “return to Eden.”