SANTAGO RARE LEOPARD PROJECT, HERTS

Puma & Black Panther & more

Santago Leopards in Hertfordshire is a long standing favourite of many nature photographers. Santago's main objective is to breed from some of the world's most endangered leopards. Here you will find African Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Persian, and Snow Leopards alongside Puma and Black Panthers.

Purpose Built Camera Cut-outs in Cages

These cats are all housed in specially constructed enclosures that allow camera lenses to be placed through purpose built cut-outs. Our photography workshop enables you to safely photograph these animals with nothing more than fresh air between your lens and the animals. They will never be further than twenty feet or so away, and will often be literally within inches of you. Long lenses are not required here at Santago.

Tips and Techniques

Our Big Cat Workshop begins with a short tutorial, giving an insight into the techniques used for wildlife photography. Feel free, however, to ask as many questions as you like on a one to one basis throughout the day regarding these techniques. General and/or individual advice will be given each time we choose a new subject.

Photogenic natural backgrounds

We continue through the day photographing the cats in their enclosures. Shrubs and trees have been carefully placed to give pleasing backgrounds to your photos. The cats are encouraged into the most photogenic parts of the enclosures with morsels of meat. The Clouded and the Snow Leopards are everybody's favourites.

Almost as if Pictures were Taken in the Wild

Careful composition of your photographs will have your friends believing your pictures were taken in the wild. Photographers On Safari will be with you throughout the day giving you advice on what to look for when composing your shot, and how best to set your camera for each situation. There will be no excuse if you leave without some stunning Big Cat Photos.

Photograph through until Sunset

This workshop has been designed to give you the opportunity to take stunning pictures in the best possible light. We will start at a later time than usual, but we will photograph until it gets dark. This will allow you to photograph the cats as the sun sets. The very best pictures are often taken after the regular workshops have ended. Photographers On Safari want you to benefit from the wonderful golden glow on the animals as the sun sets. The cats are also fed at this time, which makes them more active.