23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
Watcher of the Dawn

I had followed this elusive predator through early morningt, hoping to capture not its speed or strength, but its solitude. When the moment came, color drained from the sky, leaving a quiet gradient between darkness and light. I framed the leopard against that pale backdrop, using the interwoven branches to suggest both confinement and protection—a metaphor for the delicate balance of life in the wild.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2025
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: Maasai Mara, Kenya
Camera: NIKON Z 9
Copyright: © Yoshiki Nakamura