“The one thing I’ve learned about big cats is that it’s like an umbrella. You protect the top predator, you protect everything underneath it.” —Steve Winter

Steve Winter first became interested in wildlife photojournalism when he stumbled across a sea turtle laying eggs on the beach in Costa Rica. Although he had been a photographer for most of his adult life, it wasn’t until age 34 that he took his first wildlife photo. His passion for natural history stories was further ignited when he heard scientists speak about issues such as poaching, illegal logging, and mining. “We have a whole story to tell here,” said Winter. “We need to find a way to do it.”

Winter began shooting for National Geographic more than