Riaan Fourie grew up in a gold mining town on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a highly skilled and experienced FGASA Professional Field Guide and Tracker who has lived and worked in the Bushveld for the last twenty years. His constant presence, keen eye and love of photography have enabled him to capture moments often hidden from the eyes of visitors.

While an admirer of photographers like David Yarrow, and accepting that trying to emulate the ‘greats’ has its merits, Fourie believes the most important things are to stay true to oneself, to think outside the box, and to develop one’s own specific and recognisable style. In these objectives, he has the advantage of seeing his subject matters from the ‘inside’, on a daily basis. Thus he can plan a shot or get an idea in his head, and then wait patiently, sometimes for years, for the opportunity for that specific image to present itself. When the moment (however fleeting) appears, he is ready; almost as if he has had the time to prepare for it.

He continues to be amazed at the diversity of wildlife and the beauty to be found in nature, and also at how close he can get to the animals, large and small. Around ten years ago he first had the chance to photograph leopards. These cats are as elusive as they are beautiful, and have since become both his favourite subject to photograph, and the object of some of his most artistic works.