These Eyes Do Tell

2022

I always enjoy photographing leopards, and I know that I am incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to do so several times in recent years — their numbers are falling.

My aim whenever I work with these intelligent cats is simply to do better than I did last time, and that aim kicks into action before I enter the field. I  took a look at my previous leopard work, and came to the conclusion that I wanted the next photograph to feel much more intimate.

I now have the knowledge, experience, imagination and equipment to try and do better; my initial rough pencil sketches were promising, and Nikon’s Z9 has proven itself time and time again.

Of course, preparedness is only half of the game, and the second part is often the hardest. An animal will only do what it wants to do, especially when the animal in question is a leopard — they are fiercely intelligent.

I spent some considerable time in position on this February day in 2022 and I left knowing both him and myself much better.

I could not have wished for better light, the focus is fully on his right eye, and his gaze is intense and intimate.