EPISODE 08: Nick Garbutt– Becoming a Photographer

Welcome back to The Big Cat People Podcast! We’re Jonathan and Angela Scott, award-winning wildlife photographers, authors, and conservationists. Today’s episode continues our guest interview series, “In Conversation with The Big Cat People.”

Our guest is Nick Garbutt, an award-winning photographer and critically acclaimed author who has spent over 30 years documenting wildlife across the globe. With a background in zoology and post-graduate research, Nick’s career transitioned from hands-on conservation—working with critically endangered birds in Mauritius—to becoming one of the world’s leading voices in wildlife photography and natural history writing.

Nick is perhaps best known for his deep expertise in the tropical rainforests of Borneo, the Amazon, and especially Madagascar. Having visited the island almost every year since 1991, he has documented over 80 species of lemurs and nearly all of its major wildlife. Beyond the rainforest, Nick shares our deep-seated passion for big cats; he has photographed all seven species in the wild and serves as a partner photographer with Panthera, the world’s foremost cat conservation organization.

A two-time category winner in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, Nick’s work is featured regularly in National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, and Terra Mater. He is also the author of numerous definitive guides, including the Field Guide to Mammals of Madagascar.

This episode dives into Nick’s journey from scientist to artist, the "visceral thrill" of connecting with a big cat through a lens, and his advocacy for showing subjects within the context of their environment.

If you'd like to learn more about us, or to check out our latest collection of educational ebooks, please visit our website: www.bigcatpeople.com.

Connect with Nick Garbutt:

• Instagram: @nickgarbutt

• Website: nickgarbutt.com