The Traveler: Bill Bieber of Maple Grove.
The scene: A leopard appeared out of the bush in Thornybush Game Reserve, a private reserve in South Africa.
The trip: Bill and his wife, Karen, visited four African countries — South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia — in 2015. "One morning there was talk of a leopard in our area. We were out in the vehicles, not having much luck. The driver had stopped and he and the guide were talking over the next step. Out of the bush came this beautiful leopard. She was 10 to 12 yards away. What a thrill," Bieber wrote in an e-mail.
Why the shot is special: "She was so beautiful. We were just being so quiet and the moment was peaceful. We or the cat did not disturb that peace. It was magic," he wrote.
the Destination: "The animals were great and beautiful — birds and mammals. The thing that most impressed was the happiness of the people," Bill wrote. "[They] seemed to be proud and grateful for what they had, which didn't appear to be much to us."
The Equipment: Olympus E-M5.
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