For me, an aerial picture is no different than a close-up portrait. It's a question of framing and angle. Helicopters are great for that. But I've also used planes. Of course, I always have a harness.

I always take hundreds and hundreds of pictures. I used to work for 'National Geographic,' and they gave us a lot of film.

I'm not an expert when it comes to technology, but what changed things for me was autofocus. I used to have to throw away half my pictures because it was so difficult to get the focus right.

For nearly two years, I was flying above the planet with my camera. I knew straight away that this was something important to do, just at this moment, a portrait of the planet for the millennium year. I worked in 80 countries, fighting for money all the time.

There is something very utopian about what I do. But utopia is nothing more than a truth that the world is not yet ready to hear.

The lions taught me photography. They taught me patience and the sense of beauty, a beauty that penetrates you.