Phillips and his companions were on a photography safari in Masai Mara National Park in Kenya, watching a group of seven male lions, some hidden in the brush and possibly eating on a carcass while others lounged nearby. Armed with his camera in the safety of a safari vehicle, Phillips quickly turned to the source of the noise and clicked, freezing in time a photograph of two lions fighting with all the viciousness of wild animals who live a precarious existence. The fight only lasted nine seconds. But Phillips walked away from it with a photograph that earned him 1999's Photograph of the Year award from world-renowned photographer, author and travel guide Joe McDonald. In the photo, an immature lion is attacking a full-grown lion, its claw tearing at the skin and its teeth bared in a threatening snarl.
Blood is splattered across the face of the older lion, who seems surprised at the attack.
The dramatic photo is one of hundreds taken by Phillips on his numerous photography tours to Alaska, Africa, Yellowstone National Park and Canada. Photos of polar bears, bison, coyotes, elephants, bears, waterfowl and a few landscapes grace the walls at Phillips' frame shop in southeast Huntsville. Outfitted with plenty of camera equipment, Phillips and his wife Pat have been traveling in search of wildlife photography opportunities for nearly five years. Sometimes they travel alone, relying on themselves to find those opportunities. Other times, and especially when traveling to remote destinations, they join one of many photography tours that are offered worldwide.