Steve Winter leads a National Geographic Live odyssey: On the Trail of the Big Cats.
National Geographic Live, National Geographic’s touring speaker series, and the Alberta Bair Theater present “On the Trail of Big Cats” with Steve Winter, an award-winning National Geographic wildlife photographer, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12 at Petro Theatre on the campus of MSU Billings.
Winter, who specializes in wildlife photography, has been a National Geographic photographer since 1991. He shares his stories live on stage about traveling the world to photograph big cats and educates audiences on the importance of habitat conservation. He takes audiences behind his lens and on his adventures to get the perfect shot.
From trekking India’s Himalaya in search of rare snow leopards and stalking the elusive jaguar through Latin American jungles to chronicling the nocturnal activities of the “American lion” or cougar, Winter ventures far and wide to come face-to-face with his subjects. This is no easy task: many big cat species are in danger of extinction, so they have good reason to avoid humans.
Endangered, wild and unpredictable, caution is required in the presence of these felines, and negotiating their habitats can be dangerous. Winter has been charged by rhinos and stuck in quicksand. He’s had mishaps with remote-controlled cameras and captured more than his share of hikers with his camera trap on a Southern California hillside before catching his memorable shot of a cougar under the iconic “Hollywood” sign. Throughout it all, Winter’s mission is to share the beauty of big cats and work to save them.
Winter has been named BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and BBC Wildlife Photojournalist of the Year. He was a two-time winner of Picture of the Year International’s Global Vision Award and won first prize in the nature story category from World Press Photo in 2008 and 2014. He has been interviewed on CBS Nightly News, NPR, BBC, CNN, and other media outlets. His film with Bertie Gregory, “Mission Critical: Leopards at the Door,” continues to run on Nat Geo WILD.
National Geographic Live is the live events division of National Geographic. With a broad roster of talent including renowned photographers, scientists, authors, filmmakers and adventurers, these critically acclaimed programs have connected with audiences worldwide for over a century. Speakers share behind-the-scenes stories from the front lines of exploration onstage, alongside stunning imagery and gripping footage. For more information, visit natgeolive.com.
Tickets to the Billings presentation are $37 and $20 for students with valid I.D., and available from the ABT Ticket Office, now located in the ABT executive offices at 2722 Third Avenue North in Billings, by phone at 406-256-6052 and online at AlbertaBairTheater.org.
Alberta Bair Theater’s National Geographic Live Speaker Series continues Jan. 18 with “Pinks Boots and a Machete” with Mireya Mayor; and March 21 with “Ocean Soul” featuring Brian Skerry. Both events are at Petro Theatre.