Login

Language

Cart

Your cart is empty
Orca hunting BW
Orca hunting BW

Orca hunting BW

The silent face-off with the herring ball

Format:

Format
Paper:

Paper
Management:

Management
Sale price€49,00

Quantity:

A photograph of a moment of silent tension in the underwater world.

The orca's silhouette stands out perfectly against the darkness, illuminated by a cold glow that slides down its side, while a huge school of herring forms a living, compact and dense mass, ready to tighten under the pressure of the predator.

The black and white enhances the dramatic nature of the scene: only the essentials are visible—the shapes, the light, the movement. The sea becomes a graphic, almost abstract space. The action is there, contained, suspended, just before the moment of impact.

It is a powerful, instinctive image, where the beauty of the animal meets the meticulously planned mechanics of the collective hunt.
Orca hunting BW
Orca hunting BW Sale price€49,00

The story behind the image

"This was my second winter in Norway photographing orcas. The previous year, I had learned to observe their method: grouping the herring into a compact ball, then striking it in turn with their tails.

But that year, things were different. The whales were stealing the orcas' catch too often, so the orcas changed their strategy. They hunted deeper, more discreetly, almost silently, as if they were trying to hide the ball of herring.

I had to go deeper than usual, holding my breath, trying to follow their movements in dark water.
And that's when I saw this large male circling the compact ball, ready to deliver the fatal blow that sends the herrings flying to pieces.

The scene unfolded in total silence, punctuated only by my breathing and the distant creaking of the band. It's a moment I'll never forget: raw, precise, and incredibly ordered all at once.

Stéphane Granzotto

Why is this image unique?

This image is unique because it delves into the heart of the orca's hunting strategy, a moment normally invisible, hidden in the depths and darkness. The black and white powerfully reveals the dramatic tension of the scene: the animal appears as a controlled shadow, a ray of light in a silent world.

The school of herring, dense as a living cloud, offers a striking contrast to the smooth silhouette of the orca. You can almost see the meticulously choreographed sequence that precedes the impact: the approach, the pivot of the body, the moment everything changes.

The light, extremely difficult to capture in depth, gives the image an almost painterly quality. Nothing is static: you can feel the movement, the density of the water, the contained power.

It is a rare moment, a fragment of the orcas' lives that few people can observe — even fewer photograph in such harmony.

Art print

Printed on Canson Infinity paper, each artwork is crafted with professional care, certified, and signed by the artist. Prints are available in various sizes, framed or unframed. Each piece captures the richness of golden hues and the depth of the Arctic sea.

The photographer's recommendation

With its powerful black and white, deep shadows, and highly graphic style, Orque en chasse – Black & White works perfectly:
• in modern and understated interiors,
• in industrial or minimalist settings,
• on textured walls, polished concrete, mineral plasters,
• with matte black or dark metal frames that enhance the depth of contrast.

It is a photograph that imposes a presence, an immediate visual force — ideal as a centerpiece in a contemporary living room, an office, an entrance hall or any space that embraces a strong aesthetic.

The artist

Stéphane Granzotto is a photographer, filmmaker, and diver, as well as a Canon Europe and Canson ambassador. His work explores the intimate connections between marine animals and light, in an approach that is both artistic and naturalistic. Discover his complete world on the Biography page.

Place

Northern Norway
Arctic fjord

Species

Orca
Orcinus orca

Device

Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM
1/100 — f/4.5 — ISO 6400 — 16mm

The collections

Cachalots

sperm whales

Orques de Norvège

Orcas

Mer

Sea

The latest photos viewed

Fast and tracked shipping

Secure payment

Printed on Canson paper

Professional supervision