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Exhibition Member Highlights

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The Connection

About the image

For as long as I can remember, I have been captivated by the leopard and its elusive nature. Having grown up in the African bush, I have been fortunate to spend countless hours in their presence, yet finding one still feels like striking gold. There is something about a leopard that makes every encounter feel earned. For years, I had searched for an image that went beyond simply documenting a leopard - one that captured the connection I have always felt with these remarkable cats. This moment came unexpectedly. A young male approached a small pool of water below me and lowered his head to drink. Then, briefly, he looked up. Our eyes met, and everything else seemed to disappear. It lasted only a few seconds, but within that gaze was the connection I had spent years hoping to capture: quiet, intimate and completely on his terms.

SPECIES: 

African Leopard

How it was captured

Camera: Sony A9 III
Lens: Sony FE 300mm f/2.8
Settings: IS0 250 - F4 - 1/2000 Shutterspeed

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Photographer: 
Age: 
From: 

Cathan Moore

23

Limpopo

About the photographer

I’m Cathan Moore, a professional wildlife photographer and photographic guide, born and raised in South Africa’s Timbavati Private Nature Reserve. Growing up in the heart of the African bush shaped not only my understanding of wildlife, but the way I see and photograph the natural world. My photography is rooted in storytelling. I’m drawn to the individual lives of animals, their behaviour and the fleeting moments that reveal something deeper about them. With a background in commercial photography and professional field guiding, I combine photographic knowledge with years spent reading and understanding wildlife in the field. Today, I lead photographic expeditions across Africa and beyond, sharing that experience with others and helping photographers create images with meaning. For me, wildlife photography is ultimately about connection - with an animal, a landscape, and the story unfolding in front of you.

PHOTOGRAPHER'S QUOTE

Photography is my way to paint a picture of the people and the natural world, but more importantly, of the grey area that lies between where conservation and sustainable coexistence are paramount.

CONSERVATION MESSAGE

Wildlife is part of our natural heritage, shaped over generations and entrusted to us for those still to come. Protecting species like the leopard means preserving not only an animal, but the wild landscapes, stories and connections that form part of who we are. Through conservation, we ensure this heritage remains alive, wild and enduring.

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NPO Registration # 2024/308-441

©2023-2025 by Young Wildlife Photographers Of Southern Africa, 

Luca Tomlinson, Gabby Sykora & Nadja Giessen - Hood

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