How a Nat Geo Photographer Captured Iconic Photos of Big Cats

Wildlife photographer Steve Winter has been stalked by tigers and chased by a rhino—all in pursuit of these stunning images featured in his new retrospective book with the author Sharon Guynup.

Photography · stunning images · By Rachel Nuwer · Photographs by Steve Winter · Published October 6, 2026 · 1 min read

Topics: Animal Discoveries, Animal Behaviors, Tigers, Siberian Tiger, Bengal Tiger, Big Cats, Lion, Cougar (Mountain Lion), African lions, Asiatic lions, Jaguars, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography, Animals, Photography

Big cats are masters of staying hidden, a skill honed by millions of years of evolution. Today, they have another reason to remain out of sight: humans. Yet National Geographic contributing photographer Steve Winter has built a career capturing tigers, lions, jaguars, snow leopards, and cougars in moments few people would ever witness. Making those images requires meticulous planning, technical ingenuity, patience, and artistic instinct—along with a fair amount of luck. In Big Cats, a new retrospective created with environmental journalist Sharon Guynup, Winter brings together his photographs from decades in the field, like the image above of a Sumatran tiger. For months, Winter had tried and failed to photograph the elusive species. His luck turned when he met a former poacher who showed him the perfect spot for his camera trap. Working under a tarp in a downpour, Winter carefully angled his equipment to create an ideal composition. “I set the beam up where I would want the cat to be if I was laying down, waiting for him to come by,” Winter says. His physical absence, though, was key: “If I was there, he would never go by—or else he would come behind me and kill me.” Two months later, he got the perfect shot. Read on for more behind-the-scenes stories of the collection’s most memorable images.

Rachel Nuwer is a freelance science journalist and author who often writes about conservation, wildlife and the environment. Steve Winter is a National Geographic Explorer and award-winning wildlife photographer whose work has focused on big cats and conservation around the world. Sharon Guynup is an award-winning environmental journalist and producer who covers wildlife, ecosystems, and the threats they face. Their new book, Big Cats, is available wherever books are sold and here.