Photographer Rafael Hernandez recently submitted this perfectly timed photo to reddit’s I Took a Picture subreddit. In the comments he explains that it took him nine tries to get the effect he was looking for (the photo above was his fourth attempt).

The photo was taken in northern Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, with a Canon 5DMII (28mm f/1.8 lens, Exposure: 1/1250, Aperture: f/2.2, ISO: 160). The 28mm lens means his camera was mere inches from the axe!

Hernandez, who was teaching in the town of Balama at the time, explains in a blog post that he was invited by locals to make a trip into the bush up in Northern Mozambique. You can see the rest of the photos from the trip on his blog.

If you’re interested in prints, please contact Rafael through his website.