Steve has been a wildlife photojournalist and explorer for National Geographic for over two decades, producing stories on some of the world’s most elusive and iconic animals—and specializing in big cats. His documentary films on jaguars, leopards, tigers, and tree-climbing lions have aired on Nat Geo WILD and Disney+. His work has been recognized with numerous international awards, including BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and BBC Wildlife Photojournalist of the Year. Steve has also received top nature story honors from World Press Photo in 2008, 2014 and 2020; and he is two-time winner of Picture of the Year International’s Global Vision Award. Steve has appeared on 60 Minutes, CBS Nightly News, NPR, BBC, CNN and other outlets. He speaks globally on big cats and conservation at performing arts venues across North America and behind closed doors for companies and institutions.

To get these stories, Steve spends months working in steamy jungles and grasslands—or camping at extreme altitude in the winter, in the Himalayas.  Why?  Because, he needs to document unique behaviors and give us a glimpse into the unique realms of these iconic big cats. To better understand his subjects, Steve works closely with the scientists who study them and the conservationists who are working to save them.

Together with three other partners, including his wife—award-winning science journalist and author Sharon Guynup who works at the intersection of environmental issues and public policy—and fellow Changemaker, wildlife filmmaker Bertie Gregory, Steve founded the nonprofit organization Big Cat Voices.  Its mission is to turn issues into stories, and stories into change, by creating world-class media that gives cats a voice and highlights the most pressing threats they face.

Steve has sparked change on a global level. His iconic image of the beloved and recently deceased cougar P-22 under the Hollywood sign helped create what will be the world’s largest wildlife overpass. This greenspace bridge will create a corridor and safe passage for mountain lions and other animals hemmed in by urban sprawl, giving big cats, coyotes, deer, lizards, snakes and other creatures a safe route to open space in the Santa Monica Mountains, enabling better access to food and potential mates.

Steve and Sharon’s story on the Thai Tiger Temple proved wildlife trafficking and prompted officials to shut it down; his work on jaguars in Brazil has helped them rebound; and his story on captive tigers in the U.S. helped pass a new law, the Big Cat Public Safety Act.

As Steve says, “I didn’t choose big cats, they chose me. Now I’m trying to help protect them.” When you get right down to it, saving big cats saves ourselves.