Award-winning South African photographer Wim van den Heever smitten with nature

South African photographer Wim van den Heever has been awarded one of the world’s most prestigious wildlife photography accolades – the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025.

The Pretoria resident’s photograph of a brown hyena walking through the streets of Namibia’s deserted old mining town, Kolmanskop, was selected from over 60 000 entries, from 113 countries as this year’s best wildlife image. The competition is organised by the Natural History Museum of London.

Van den Heever had been visiting Kolmanskop for 10 years in an attempt to capture the photograph.

“I knew there was a potential for photographing brown hyenas in Kolmanskop because I had seen the tracks,” he said.

Shot ‘took my breath away’

Due to the elusive nature of the hyenas, the rarest of the four species, he decided the best method would be to use a camera trap technique, which involves setting up a camera in a specific location and then waiting for movement to automatically trigger the shutter.

“It was an incredibly difficult technique to master and refine – both battling sandstorms, fog banks and more, to working out the composition and camera settings for when you expect the animal to appear,” he said.

“The morning when I arrived to fetch my equipment pre-dawn, I checked my camera and saw that it had triggered three times. The first two frames were empty, but the third – the final shot – took my breath away.

“The composition, the mood, the posture of the hyena… everything was exactly as I had envisioned it for years.”

Van den Heever said: “Winning the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award is an incredible honour and one of the most humbling moments of my career. To see my work recognised on such a global stage is deeply rewarding, especially because of the years of patience, planning and persistence that went into capturing that single image.

“It’s a reminder of why I do what I do – to tell nature’s stories and to inspire others to see wildlife with wonder and respect.”

Where his love for photography began

Van den Heever’s journey has come a long way and has seen him capture some amazing wildlife photography from an early age.

He first started taking photographs as a youngster with his father’s old camera.

“That’s where the love for both photography and wildlife began,” he said. “Over time, that passion grew into a full-time career.

“I’m self-taught; most of what I’ve learned came through trial, error and spending countless hours in the field observing animal behaviour.

“For me, wildlife photography is not just about taking pictures – it’s about connecting deeply with nature and translating those moments into visual stories that resonate with others.”

Despite Van den Heever’s work taking him all over the continent and beyond, he considers himself fortunate to live in South Africa.

“We live in a country with such extraordinary natural diversity, where wildlife and wilderness are never far away,” he said.

When not travelling and taking pictures, the photographer likes to spend time relaxing with his family, but emphasises that spending time outdoors is a priority.

“Nature has always been a central part of my life – it grounds me and gives meaning to what I do,” he said.

Dispelling the myth that wildlife photography is purely luck, Van den Heever stressed at length his work was mostly about patience and preparation.

“I often spend weeks or even months researching a specific subject – understanding its habits, the environment, the light and what I want to communicate through the image,” he said.

“For the type of work I do, especially with elusive or nocturnal animals, I often rely on remote camera traps.

“These setups take an incredible amount of planning because you need to anticipate where your subject will appear, how it will move and how to compose the frame without being there yourself.

“The challenges are endless – from unpredictable weather and technical failures to the physical demands of being in the field for long periods.

“But that’s also what makes it so rewarding. The moment everything comes together – when an animal walks perfectly into the frame and the light is just right – it’s pure magic.”

Asked about his favourite animals, Van den Heever said his interests cover the entire gamut.

“I’m drawn to the big, powerful animals – lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes and large marine species like whales, seals, sharks and dolphins. There’s something captivating about their strength and presence,” he said.

He added: “I also enjoy photographing smaller species – birds, penguins and albatrosses – especially when they appear in unexpected environments.”

Being in this line of work, conservation is close to Van den Heever’s heart.

“I am always looking for true wilderness and that’s my favourite place to photograph.

“When I feel that I am working in an area that looks the same as it did 200 years ago, then I truly feel at home.

“Sadly those places are getting fewer and fewer, but there are still some beautiful places around the world – the thrill of the wild.”