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An Unlikely Refuge

A leopard peeping through a window frame in an abandoned urban building. The leopard appears to be waiting inside, biding its time until nightfall when it can venture out. It captures the stealth and patience of the leopard, blending into its surroundings as it prepares for its nocturnal activities.

Awards

Photographer of the Year Contest

2026

Honorable Mentions

Wildlife

Non Professional

Nominees

Storytelling

Non Professional

An Unlikely Refuge

A leopard peeping through a window frame in an abandoned urban building. The leopard appears to be waiting inside, biding its time until nightfall when it can venture out. It captures the stealth and patience of the leopard, blending into its surroundings as it prepares for its nocturnal activities.

About Artist

Chaitanya Rawat

I’m Chaitanya Rawat, an entrepreneur and wildlife photographer from Jaipur, India. A large part of my life is spent building businesses — working across design, manufacturing, product development, branding and international business at Manglam Arts, while also developing newer ideas and brands in the world of furniture, interiors and design. The other part of my life begins where the road ends and the forest starts. Wildlife photography has been a deeply personal journey for me. What began as a fascination with animals gradually became a way of understanding landscapes, individual animals and the fragile relationship between people and the wild. I’ve spent years documenting wildlife across India, with a particularly deep connection to the leopards of Jhalana in Jaipur. My work has received recognition at platforms including the Wildlife Photographer of the Year at the Natural History Museum, London, and Nature inFocus. Over time, photography has also pushed me towards conservation — not only documenting wildlife, but thinking about how tourism, education, local communities and responsible businesses can contribute to protecting it. I enjoy building things, whether it is a company, a product, a photograph, an experience or simply an idea that did not exist before. I’m curious by nature and probably always will be. I care about craftsmanship, design, technology, wildlife, travel and the small details that most people walk past. I don’t think I have reached anywhere in particular yet. I’m still building, still learning, and still becoming.

Chaitanya Rawat

Photographic Areas of Focus

Nature, Wildlife

Location

India

Explore Other Winners

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Silver +1
Honorable Mentions
Nominees
Tammy Nicholas

Tammy Nicholas

Macro

Nominees +1

RC

Raymond Chao

Abstract

Nominees
Yoshiki Nakamura

Yoshiki Nakamura

Wildlife

Silver
Balázs Fodor

Balázs Fodor

Wildlife

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