inspired by bulls and bullfighting in mexico, vavra moved to spain in 1958 with a one-way ticket to madrid on an old italian ship the valcania. with no formal training in animals, he spent six years studying the beasts. “i couldn’t obtain the sort of photographs i wanted for the study, so i became a photographer out of necessity,” vavra was quoted as saying. “i’ve never been interested in the camera ... i don’t really consider myself a photographer. i’m an artist and a storyteller.”