Amit Eshel

Canon Ambassador Amit Eshel can pinpoint the moment he fell in love with wildlife photography. Driving on a remote road in the Canadian Rockies with his wife in 2014, he spotted a grizzly bear cub. Slowing down, he remembers the feeling of being so close to a creature he'd only seen on television. He lifted his camera – a Canon EOS 600D borrowed from a friend – and began taking pictures. "When you have a special encounter like that with an animal, you forget about everything else," he says. "You just concentrate on that moment."

Amit has always been drawn to nature. He grew up in northern Israel, surrounded by fields and forests. As a child, he was fascinated by small animals and insects. "I had a butterfly collection, and I was really into reptiles. I was going out, flipping over stones, looking below rocks, trying to find interesting creatures." At school he excelled at drawing and painting, going on to study animation and graphic design at university.

Photographing the Arctic Wolves of Ellesmere Island in Canada was a dream fulfilled. Inside the Pack, Amit's image of the curious snow-white wolves (pictured above) was Highly Commended in the 2025 Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPOTY) competition, and also chosen for the front cover of that year's competition portfolio. In 2023, Life on the Edge (pictured below), his image of a pair of male Nubian ibex battling it out in the Zin Desert in southern Israel, was the winner in the WPOTY's Animals in their Environment category, and was chosen for the cover of that year's portfolio. Also in 2023, his series on Spain's Iberian lynx came first in the Conservation category of Nature's Best Photography.

In the competitive field of wildlife photography, Amit's impeccable artistic eye for colour and composition, along with his expertise in animal behaviour, help him to stand out. He's renowned for his intimate photographs of elusive creatures, from Patagonian pumas to Mongolian snow leopards and Arabian foxes, revealing the little seen behaviours of wildcats, canids, gazelles and ibexes – the wild relatives of animals that are familiar to us.

Since 2018, he's led small expeditions to the world's most remote locations. "Conditions are harsh. You're trekking in the mountains, living in a tent and it's -35°C. There are days where you see nothing. It's challenging. But it's always an adventure."

It's unusual to have started out in jewellery; how is that connected to photography?

"When I was designing jewellery, the main thing was simplicity. It was important, when viewing something very small, or maybe from a distance, to be able to recognise what you were seeing and what shape it was. I work with the same principle in photography. A photograph has to be clear and speak to you the first time you look at it. This is what connects design and photography for me. For me, an image has to attract the eye at first glance – to create that immediate connection that makes you want to stop and look. I want to encourage the viewer to dive deeper into the frame, discovering the layers, details and small stories hidden within the image. The longer you look, the more it should reveal."

You sell fine art prints of your work on your website. What's your setup?

"I have a Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 which prints up to A2 size. It's the biggest printer I can fit in my office and it provides amazing quality, especially when paired with premium paper. Having your own printer teaches you how to prepare, test and adjust an image for print in terms of editing, brightness and contrast. It completes the photography process because you have something real, a final product, to hold. It's a different experience to looking at a photograph on a screen. I enjoy seeing my images on a wall."

Photographing Arctic wolves was a milestone for you. How did you achieve it?

"At the time, there were almost no commercial trips focused on searching for Arctic wolves on Ellesmere Island with the knowledge and survival skills of Inuit guides. We drove snowmobiles 400km north of the Inuit village, but we couldn't find the wolves. Luckily, I met a guy who became a good friend who was able to support another trip. This time we also used sled dogs. When we arrived, there was a snowstorm – three days of whiteout blizzard. Even after the weather cleared, we could see tracks but nothing more. On day 12, a pack of 10 wolves appeared out of nowhere. One of the things I'm most proud of is that my images have helped to establish a small, sustainable ecotourism initiative on Ellesmere Island. By bringing visitors to experience this extraordinary wilderness responsibly, these trips create income and opportunities for the local community, while strengthening the value of protecting the wildlife and landscapes that make the island so unique. For me, that is one of the most meaningful outcomes of wildlife photography – when sharing a story helps to create a reason to protect it."

What piece of Canon kit can you not live without, and why?

"I love my Canon EOS R5. In extreme conditions, in the cold, it can't be beaten. And it's provided me with amazing image quality so I can print big. I pair it with two zooms – the Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM and the Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM – for maximum flexibility. You start shooting when an animal is far away and then you find that it's getting closer and closer – sometimes quite fast – and you don't have time to change lenses. With the longer zoom on hand, you also have the option to take tight portraits of animals or close-ups of their eyes."

What else could we discover in your kitbag that helps you elevate your work?

"A camera trap sensor. It allows me to remotely trigger a camera when an animal enters the frame, opening up photographic possibilities that simply could not be achieved through conventional methods. It enables me to place a wide-angle lens just a few feet from extremely elusive and shy species, capturing intimate, immersive perspectives and minimising disturbance. I can also leave a camera safely positioned in the field for days, weeks or even months, waiting for that rare moment when the animal, behaviour, light and conditions come together. For me, the sensor isn’t just a trigger – it’s a way of creating unique images from perspectives that would otherwise be impossible to capture."

"We are on the verge of losing our most elusive, lesser-known wildlife species before future generations even have the chance to discover them in the wild. The work of a wildlife photographer today is about connecting people to nature and showing them the beauty of animals that are less well known, or that maybe don't get the best PR, so that they are inspired to support conservation. It's also important to go to places and work with local people, so they can earn a living from protecting wildlife. I always work with local guides so they can experience the benefits of having people come to see the beautiful wildlife and nature where they live."

Website: amiteshel.com

Instagram: @siberianart

Facebook: @eshelamit/photos