Leon worked out how to use a telephoto lens thanks to his dog Scooby.
His dad would throw a tennis ball and, as Scooby raced after it, Leon would try to get the shot. They kept practising, and by the time Leon went on his first safari in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, he was ready. One evening, on the drive back to camp, they saw the cheetah. It had just finished eating an impala and was lying in the grass. Most people climbed onto the roof of the vehicle, but Leon, then eight, was able to squeeze through the small side window and get a view almost at ground level. Though the female was full and relaxed, it was still alert to danger, not least because it had a cub nearby and its kill might attract lions or hyenas. ‘You can tell the animal’s feelings from the look in the eye, the way the fur lies and how the ears move,’ says Leon. He particularly likes portraits, he says, because ‘the animal’s feelings talk to you’.
Greece / Switzerland
Leon has been fascinated by nature and wildlife photography since early childhood. He enjoys walking in the mountains and observing plants and animals. He is a volunteer at the Aegean Wildlife Hospital in Greece and has also participated in World Wildlife Fund activities in northern Greece. He would like to become more involved in conservation as he grows up.
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